Haenam-gun, Full-Scale Start of Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation

Inaugural General Meeting of the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Forum, Local Governments Promote Inter-Korean Exchanges

Before the non-face-to-face meeting of the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Forum, Myeong Hyeon-gwan, the head of Haenam County, is giving a greeting. (Photo by Haenam County)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] Haenam County in Jeonnam announced on the 17th that it attended the inaugural general meeting of the National Si·Gun·Gu Inter-Korean Exchange Cooperation Forum on the 16th and decided to actively build cooperative relationships to discover and implement inter-Korean exchange policies at the local government level.

The forum includes 37 basic local government heads nationwide, and plans to discover exchange projects between inter-Korean cities and select joint projects to promote in the future.

Following the enforcement of the Inter-Korean Exchange Cooperation Act on the 9th, which explicitly designates local governments as the main agents of inter-Korean cooperation projects, Haenam County is accelerating the promotion of inter-Korean exchange cooperation projects.

Haenam County, pursuing the discovery and support of inter-Korean exchange cooperation projects as a pledge of the 7th elected administration, is concretizing related projects such as exchanges and cooperation between Haenam County, the southernmost part of the Korean Peninsula, and Onseong County, the northernmost part.

In particular, it plans to sign a business agreement with the Inter-Korean Economic and Cultural Cooperation Foundation and will hold a preliminary meeting on the 19th. The foundation aims to select key cooperative projects tailored to the characteristics of local governments by utilizing regional infrastructure for sustainable inter-Korean exchange cooperation and link them one-to-one with North Korean cities.

Accordingly, the county is also accepting applications for a public contest to promote inter-Korean exchange and unification atmosphere until the end of this month, planning to select key cooperative projects utilizing Haenam County’s resources, fostering an atmosphere of inter-Korean exchange cooperation involving both public and private sectors, and expanding citizen participation.

County Governor Myung Hyun-gwan said, “It is deeply meaningful as it becomes an opportunity to open the way for inter-Korean exchange cooperation from Haenam, the southernmost part of the Korean Peninsula,” and added, “With the easing of strained inter-Korean relations at the government level and the revision of the Inter-Korean Exchange Cooperation Act creating conditions for local governments to lead projects, we will do our best to discover inter-Korean exchange projects utilizing Haenam County’s resources.”

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