[Interview] Mokpo Mayor Kim Jongsik: "We Will Build a Multi-City Growing Together with Citizens"

Nationwide First Mokpo Literature Expo Held, Expecting Broad Effects on Tourism, Culture, and Socioeconomics

Before Lunar New Year, Disaster Relief Payments Aim to 'Reduce Pain, Increase Happiness'

Kim Jong-sik, Mayor of Mokpo / ⓒ Asia Economy

"We will thoroughly prepare the pressing issues that will greatly impact Mokpo's future, look far ahead, engage broadly, communicate deeply, and build consensus."

[Mokpo=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Jeong Seunghyun] Mokpo City in Jeonnam Province, the economic, social, educational, and cultural hub of the southwestern region of South Korea, rich in tourism and cultural resources, is dreaming of growing into an international maritime tourism and logistics city.

As of the end of last year, Mokpo City, with a population of about 224,000, is led by Mayor Kim Jongsik, who stated that this year's administrative direction is "Hosiuhang" (虎視牛行, meaning "watch like a tiger, walk like an ox"). He explained that this means to look at internal and external situations with the sharp vision of a tiger while steadfastly executing plans like a diligent ox.

Mayor Kim pledged, "We will thoroughly prepare the pressing issues that will greatly impact Mokpo's future, look far ahead, engage broadly, communicate deeply, and build consensus."

Could you explain the achievements such as being selected as one of South Korea's four major tourism hub cities and as a preliminary cultural city?

Last year was a meaningful year that achieved many accomplishments despite the COVID-19 crisis, significantly enhancing the city's brand value and regional competitiveness. Mokpo was selected as one of South Korea's four major tourism hub cities, with a total project cost of 100 billion KRW by 2024, marking a turning point to change the tourism paradigm and recognizing the value and potential of culture and arts. Additionally, it was selected as a preliminary cultural city, the first stage of the legally designated cultural city, with 20 billion KRW invested over five years starting in 2022.

Mokpo was selected for the electric propulsion car ferry and power system development and demonstration project (45 billion KRW), enabling the creation of Korea's first eco-friendly ship cluster in Namhang.

Gohado Island was selected for the Fishing Village New Deal 300 project, and along with Dallido and Oedaldo Islands (2019) and Yuldo Island (2020), all inhabited islands were designated as targets for the Fishing Village New Deal 300 project.

Recognizing these achievements and efforts, Mokpo ranked first among cities with populations under 500,000 in the Urban Awards hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and was ranked first as the best city for business by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In particular, in the public institution integrity evaluation, Mokpo's rating improved for two consecutive years, achieving the top grade of level 2 among Jeonnam's cities and counties. In Jeollanam-do's economic sector evaluation, Mokpo received the grand prize in job creation, the best award in regional economic revitalization (six consecutive years), and the excellence award in investment attraction activities (six consecutive years).

Earlier this year, a new 'Literature Expo T/F Team' was established in the city government personnel. What is the 'Literature Expo' project, and what are the future plans?

Mokpo is rich in cultural and artistic assets, as evidenced by being the first city in the country to use the name "Ye-hyang" (藝鄕, meaning "Artistic Hometown"). Especially in literature, many great figures were born or grew up in Mokpo. Bright stars in Korean literary history such as Kim Woojin, the "founder of modern Korean drama," Park Hwaseong, Korea's first female novelist, Cha Beomseok, the "completer of Korean realist theater," and Kim Hyun, the "founder of Korean literary criticism," have deep ties to Mokpo.

It is rare for a small provincial city like Mokpo to have produced so many famous literary figures. This is a unique strength that Mokpo can leverage. Based on this rich literary resource, our city confidently declared its candidacy for the Literature Expo.

We are preparing for the "2021 Mokpo Literature Expo," aiming to hold it in October. It is significant as the first expo in the country organized by a basic local government with literature as the theme.

If renewable energy, seafood food products, and tourism are the three strategic industries for securing future food sources, culture and arts are very important as the field to cultivate Mokpo's soft power. The Literature Expo will be a venue to elevate the value and status of Mokpo's culture and arts.

October in Mokpo is a romantic season when busking performances take place throughout the city and various cultural and artistic festivals are held. The Literature Expo will be held annually for four days in early October at the Mokpo Literature Museum, the center of Mokpo literature, as well as in the old downtown and Peace Square and other parts of the city. Since the second half of last year, preparations for the expo have been underway, including multiple meetings with literary figures to gather broad opinions and completing the basic planning study to lay out the blueprint.

The Literature Expo aims not only to re-examine Mokpo literature and popularize literature but also to ensure interest by linking literature with Mokpo's cultural and tourism resources. It also focuses on rediscovering literature through experimental and new literary content and creating it together with literary figures and citizens.

To this end, in addition to the basic expo programs such as exhibitions, performances, and experiential programs, we have planned a "Four-person Four-color Literary Festival" to share Mokpo literature's individuality and uniqueness, as well as literary tourism products conducted amidst beautiful scenery. The Literature Expo is a unique cultural event that can only be attempted in Mokpo. We will showcase Mokpo as a city that brings fresh winds to the culture and arts sector.

Starting with the declaration as a 'City of Taste' and forming a foundation as a slow city, Mokpo is evaluated as having successfully transformed its regional value. What is the future direction of Mokpo City?

Mokpo once prospered as one of the three major ports and six major cities but failed to maintain growth and stagnated. Time has passed, and now it is faced with a situation where it must stop hesitating and pioneer a path of change through new challenges. This requires a strategic, concrete, and meticulous approach.

The strategy established by synthesizing this awareness, Mokpo's strengths, and domestic and international environments is the "3+1" strategy. It involves fostering three strategic industries?energy, seafood food products, and tourism?to secure future food sources, and adding culture and arts to cultivate soft power. If the "3+1" strategy is implemented smoothly, Mokpo will rise as a representative local strong city and cultural tourism city in South Korea where the economy and cultural tourism flourish.

The energy industry development is focusing on two routes: eco-friendly ships and offshore wind power. The eco-friendly ship industry is a globally growing sector with demand increasing worldwide. The global market is estimated at 165 trillion KRW, making it a notable new industry. Namhang will be transformed into a world-class cluster concentrated with eco-friendly ship infrastructure such as technology development, demonstration, and professional workforce training. Ongoing projects include electric propulsion ships and mobile power supply system development (45 billion KRW), eco-friendly ship mixed fuel technology development and demonstration (50 billion KRW), and the establishment of professional education and research institutions, all of which will be accelerated as planned.

Additionally, we will persuade the government to include the eco-friendly ship full-cycle innovative technology development project (950 billion KRW) as a national project to enhance competitiveness.

Offshore wind power involves attracting companies producing equipment and parts necessary for the large-scale 8.2GW offshore wind power complex along the southwestern coast to the hinterland of the New Port and Daeyang Industrial Complex, and transporting and constructing the wind power complex through the New Port support wharf. The New Port offshore wind power support wharf and hinterland construction project is included in the 4th Basic Port Plan and will accelerate, and a 31.5 billion KRW offshore wind power convergence industrialization platform will be established in Daeyang Industrial Complex to strengthen the power generation base.

The seafood food product industry focuses on the seafood food export complex project (108.9 billion KRW) and the high value-added processing of fish cakes and laver. The basic plan for the seafood food export complex was established last year. Construction will begin within the year and administrative efforts will focus on completing it as planned next year. For fish cakes (10 billion KRW), we will expand the industrial base including production plant construction and brand marketing. For laver (10 billion KRW), we will expand research and development support for high-level processing of dried laver, with Jeonnam being the top producer nationwide.

Tourism is expected to take considerable time to normalize after being depressed by COVID-19, so we will use this time to strengthen internal capabilities and prepare for the future. The major tourism hub city project (100 billion KRW) will invest 13 billion KRW this year to promote performances at the Peace Square sea stage, create night views of Mokpo Bridge, develop the 30-ri Beach Taste Road project, and build a smart tourism system.

The culture and arts sector centers on the preliminary cultural city project and the Literature Expo. We will diligently promote the preliminary cultural city project to ensure designation as a legally recognized cultural city (20 billion KRW). Alongside this, we will successfully hold the Literature Expo to enhance Mokpo's charm.

Despite many achievements last year, are there any regrets?

The regret is tourism. We aimed to make 2020 the first year of the 10 million tourist era, but the COVID-19 pandemic halted the increase in tourists last year.

In 2019, the "City of Taste" branding project and active media marketing moved the hearts of tourists, attracting 6.5 million visitors to Mokpo.

We gained confidence and aimed to continue the upward trend last year, but the unexpected COVID-19 crisis stopped it. However, tourist interest has continued, and according to the Tourism Knowledge Information System operated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, last year's tourists are estimated to be about 5.5 million.

This is about a 15% decrease compared to 2019. Compared to other regions where the decrease reached 30-40%, Mokpo is evaluated as having performed relatively well.

Mayor Kim Jong-sik is inspecting the Mokpo Indoor Gymnasium Vaccination Center on the 30th of last month. (Photo by Mokpo City)

Vaccinations are expected to begin in February. What is Mokpo City's preparation status?

Since the first confirmed case in Mokpo on March 24 last year, there have been 43 cases so far. Mokpo is a hub in the southwestern region of Jeonnam, with a large floating population and many people commuting to large cities like Gwangju. However, through proactive response and extensive quarantine measures, relatively few confirmed cases have occurred, maintaining a clean area. Our city strictly adheres to government quarantine guidelines and thoroughly disinfects facilities where outbreaks are likely, such as multi-use facilities.

Above all, thanks to citizens actively participating in quarantine rules and social distancing, the number of confirmed cases has been minimized.

To carry out vaccinations smoothly, we formed the "Mokpo City COVID-19 Vaccination Implementation Promotion Team" and set up a vaccination center in the indoor gymnasium, preparing proactively. This was even cited as a best practice at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting. We will make every effort to prepare thoroughly and conduct vaccinations without delay once government policies are finalized.

What is the background for providing disaster relief funds to all citizens ahead of the Lunar New Year, and what are the future economic stimulus plans?

As COVID-19 has prolonged for over a year, Mokpo's economy has fallen into recession, with a high proportion of small business owners and self-employed people suffering greatly. Although the financial situation is not abundant, considering the need to use limited resources as effectively as possible and the seriousness of the COVID-19 situation, it was concluded that providing disaster relief funds is appropriate.

Based on this judgment, we decided to provide all citizens with 100,000 KRW in cash. Additionally, 500,000 KRW in cash will be given to charter bus workers and religious facilities, who were excluded from the government's disaster relief funds.

The total cost is 23.19 billion KRW, funded by reducing budgets for non-urgent projects and event expenses. Applications will be accepted from the 4th of this month until the 3rd of next month, and payments are currently being made to applicants' accounts the next day.

Mokpo's economic structure is vulnerable to external changes or shocks. We must transform the structure and build strength to become a robust economy. To this end, we are focusing on fostering strategic industries such as energy, seafood food products, and tourism.

In particular, the eco-friendly ship and offshore wind power industries are attracting attention as future new industries, expected to bring large corporate investments and create quality jobs. The seafood food product industry, leveraging the seafood food export complex, will create many jobs if high value-added processing is achieved. If tourism continues to grow, private investment will be activated, creating jobs, and increased tourists will boost sales for self-employed businesses.

Finally, as the Lunar New Year approaches, what message would you like to give to the citizens?

The new year has already passed a month, and the Lunar New Year is approaching. Everyone is going through difficult times as COVID-19 prolongs. I hope everyone will unite their strength and wisdom until the situation ends, and I wish you all to achieve your goals this year and have health and happiness in your families.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.