Jeonnam Southwest Region Social Development Institute Holds Forum for Mokpo Area Development

Post-COVID-19 Era Regional Economic Crisis "Overcoming Strategies"

Keynote Presentations by Former Commissioner Kim Sam-yeol and Professor Go Du-gap

(From left) Professor Noh Chang-gyun, Mokpo National Maritime University; Professor Park Gye-gak, Mokpo National Maritime University; Former Director Kim Sam-yeol, Mokpo Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office; Professor Go Du-gap, Department of Economics, Mokpo National University; Former Mayor Park Hong-ryul, Mokpo; CEO Lee In-tae, Marine Fisheries Policy Technology Research Institute; Professor Choi Kyung-hoon, Mokpo National Maritime University / Photo by Asia Economy

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Seo Young-seo] The Jeonnam Southwest Region Social Development Research Institute (Chairman Ko Gwang-yeol) held a forum under the theme of ‘Future Development of Mokpo Port and Overcoming the Regional Economic Crisis in the Post-COVID-19 Era,’ attracting attention by exploring regional economic development plans and suggesting directions.

According to the institute on the 15th, on the 12th, a meaningful discussion session was held with authoritative experts from various fields and professors specializing in maritime and port sectors presenting their topics.

The forum was conducted with minimized attendance while strictly adhering to detailed quarantine rules such as social distancing, disinfection, and temperature checks, considering the COVID-19 situation.

Ko Gwang-yeol, Chairman of the Jeonnam Southwest Region Social Development Research Institute, conveyed the significance in his greeting, saying, “Our institute, under the slogan of mutual respect and joint development, has finally reached a mature stage after a long incubation period to produce solid outcomes aimed at promoting the vision for Jeonnam regional development, national land development, and decentralization.” He added, “Through today’s event, we will research policies for regional development and develop various measures to strengthen the autonomy capabilities of local residents, striving to perform a pivotal research function in the era of local autonomy.”

In particular, Park Hong-ryul, former mayor of Mokpo and advisor, said in his congratulatory speech, “In the rapidly changing domestic and international situation, this will be a meaningful opportunity to present the future direction for the growth of the port city Mokpo and to explore changes in the local community and corresponding response strategies after COVID-19.” He continued, “To develop Mokpo as the maritime, economic, cultural, and tourism hub of the Southwest region, maritime port experts and authoritative professors participated, and I hope our local community accumulates capabilities and wisdom and achieves great development through communication across all sectors.”

The Jeonnam Southwest Region Social Development Research Institute, which opened five years ago, took its first step toward regional development by reinforcing new personnel through a reorganization equivalent to a reestablishment on this day.

At the forum, former Mokpo Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office Chief Kim Sam-yeol and Mokpo University Economics Professor Ko Doo-gap, who participated as keynote speakers and discussants, joined the institute to present a vision for Mokpo’s development through various activities.

Former Chief Kim Sam-yeol said, “Ports serve as growth cores that revitalize various industries and act as centers for regional economic activity and job creation.” He added, “Mokpo Port must actively respond to changes in the logistics environment and grow into a hub port for tourism logistics that leads the advent of the 21st-century new maritime era based on the abundant marine tourism resources of the Southwest region.”

He further emphasized, “Mokpo Port should align with the national long-term vision to realize a Northeast Asian logistics hub country and continue its role as a regional base port, developing into a central port for marine leisure and tourism logistics that will lead the 21st-century new maritime tourism era.”

Professor Ko Doo-gap of Mokpo University stated, “Even after the COVID-19 situation stabilizes, non-face-to-face economic activities such as online shopping, telecommuting, and online education are expected to increase, so at the regional level, it is necessary to actively discover and foster online non-face-to-face based businesses to create new jobs.” He also pointed out, “Since socially vulnerable and marginalized groups are the first to suffer damage, preparations are needed to establish an emergency livelihood support and care support system for low-income and vulnerable groups regarding welfare, care, and employment.”

He added, “Expanding fiscal expenditure to overcome the economic crisis requires considering both the positive effect of economic stimulus and the negative aspect of weakening fiscal soundness. It is necessary to prepare measures to manage fiscal sustainability and soundness in response to the fiscal deficit and debt increase caused by expanded fiscal spending.”

In particular, Professors Park Gye-gak and Choi Kyung-hoon of Mokpo Maritime University and Lee In-tae, CEO of the Marine Fisheries Policy Technology Research Institute, engaged in a heated discussion focusing on the maritime port sector to explore ways to revitalize the regional economy.

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