Lee Jae-myung: "We Will Create Clean Gyeonggi Sea Following Clean Rivers and Valleys"

[Asia Economy (Hwaseong) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, has embarked on creating clean seas following the completion of restoring clean rivers and valleys.

On the 7th, as part of the Clean Gyeonggi Sea Project, Governor Lee visited Gukhwado Island in Hwaseong City, held an on-site meeting with residents, and reviewed their difficulties and support policies.

Gukhwado is the southernmost island of Gyeonggi Province with a population of 54. Residents expressed interest and expectations during Governor Lee’s visit and suggested measures such as continuous management of marine waste, revitalization of tourism, and prompt installation of underwater water pipelines.

At the meeting, Governor Lee said, "Having come by boat and on foot, I found it truly a beautiful island as I had heard," adding, "As part of the clean sea policy, we will thoroughly maintain the environment and consider ways to improve the lives of fishermen."

In response, Jeong Seung-man, Chairman of the Gyeonggi Southern Fisheries Cooperative, explained, "Due to the characteristics of island areas, the culture, welfare, and education of fishermen are more disadvantaged than in other regions, so systematic support is necessary," and added, "Building infrastructure to activate projects related to energy self-sufficient villages is an urgent issue."

He also requested, "Please seek ways for the rapidly increasing leisure population and fishermen to coexist without conflict."

Governor Lee said, "From Gyeonggi Province’s perspective, it would be good to shift towards tourism leisure industries or tourism fisheries," and promised, "I will look for various alternatives regarding the matters you raised today."

Governor Lee boarded the Gyeonggi Cheongjeongho, which is collecting submerged waste in Hwaseong waters, inspected the work site, and participated in cleanup activities by picking up trash along the coast.

The Gyeonggi Cheongjeongho is a cleaning vessel 33 meters long, 9 meters wide, weighing 154 tons, capable of carrying up to 100 tons of waste. Built in December last year, it has been actively lifting submerged waste from Gyeonggi’s seas and supporting waste transport in island areas since this year.

Last year, through the Clean Gyeonggi Sea Project, the province removed 76 illegal tents and 43 containers that had been abandoned for over 20 years at Oido Port, and cleaned up illegal facilities in harbors and fishing ports. Additionally, 1,505 tons of coastal waste were collected and processed.

This year, to return a sustainable sea to residents and fishermen, the province will collect 1,500 tons of coastal waste using sea environment guardians and the Hope Work Project, and lift 200 tons of submerged waste with the Gyeonggi Cheongjeongho.

Furthermore, to create a clean Gyeonggi Sea free of illegal activities, the province will intensively crack down on illegal fishing, illegal angling, and waste dumping.

Previously, the province selected Pocheon Baegun Valley, Yeoju Jurok-ri Valley, and Gapyeong Jomurakgol and Yongso Valleys?areas that have transformed into 'clean valleys' after removing illegal facilities?as target sites for the Clean Valley Tourism Attraction Project.

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