Jeonnam Province, Korea Island Promotion Agency Mokpo Hosting Joint Relay 'Strong Sail'

Jeonnam Governor Kim Young-rok as the First Runner... Plans to Expand to Mayors, County Chiefs, Island Residents, and Provincial Citizens

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeonnam Province, took the lead as the first runner in the "Jeonnam Residents' Accompanying Relay" to attract the "Korea Island Promotion Agency" to Mokpo, carrying the wishes of 2 million residents.

According to Jeonnam Province on the 26th, this relay will start with Governor Kim and include all mayors and county heads from island regions such as Kim Jong-sik, Mayor of Mokpo, and Park Woo-ryang, County Head of Sinan.

Residents of "Gago Sipeun Seom" (Islands You Want to Visit), Jeonnam’s representative island and marine tourism brand, along with the province’s residents, will participate together.

Jeonnam, which holds 65% of the nation's islands, has continuously held meetings with the National Assembly, central government departments, and experts since 2015 to promote the necessity of establishing the "Korea Island Promotion Agency."

Based on its independently conducted "Research Service for the Establishment and Attraction of the Island Development Institute," Jeonnam was the first in the nation to propose a plan for establishing the Island Promotion Agency.

Additionally, since 2016, Jeonnam proposed the establishment of "Island Day" and successfully held the first Island Day commemorative event on August 8, 2019, at Samhakdo in Mokpo.

Since 2015, Jeonnam has proactively led various island development policies, including resident-led "Gago Sipeun Seom" maintenance projects.

The amendment to the Island Development Promotion Act, which provides the legal basis for establishing the Korea Island Promotion Agency, was jointly proposed by Kim Won-i and Seo Sam-seok, National Assembly members representing Mokpo and Muan, and passed the National Assembly in December last year.

Mokpo is the center of the West and South Seas and the gateway to the archipelago, with about 2,700 islands, accounting for 79% of the nation’s islands, within a 200 km radius.

It is evaluated as the most suitable place to implement island development policies because it forms an organic network with island-related professional research institutions and private organizations such as the Korea Island Foundation, Korea Island Society, and Mokpo University Island Culture Research Institute.

In particular, regions with many islands, including Sinan County, which has the most islands nationwide, as well as Wando County and Jindo County, strongly support Mokpo City's bid to host the Korea Island Promotion Agency, further strengthening the justification for attracting the agency.

Governor Kim said, "Jeonnam has the most islands in the country," adding, "Since the establishment of Island Day and the Korea Island Promotion Agency began in the Mokpo area and was finalized by local National Assembly members, we have been leading efforts for island development. We will do our best to ensure that the agency is definitely attracted to Mokpo."

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