Kim Du-kwan "All Jeju Residents Should Receive Priority Vaccination"... Proposes 'Green Jeju'

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] Kim Du-gwan, a member of the Democratic Party preparing to run for president, proposed on the 24th to "prioritize vaccinating all 680,000 residents of Jeju Island to create a ‘Green Jeju’."

On the same day, he stated on Facebook, “The number of visitors to Jeju Island in April 2021 increased by 99.7% compared to the previous year,” and noted, “The public’s perception of travel has already returned to pre-COVID levels.” He emphasized proactive vaccination by saying, “The entire Jeju Island could become a massive cruise ship like those seen in Japan.”

Kim said, “This policy can also be applied to Ulleungdo,” adding, “Ulleungdo, with a population of less than 10,000, saw a 232% surge in tourists compared to April last year, with 19,341 visitors coming to the island.” He stressed, “If COVID spreads widely within the island, the entire island’s economy will be devastated due to its characteristics, and the aftermath will last for a long time.”

He also proposed “incentives such as free admission and restaurant discounts for tourists who have been certified as vaccinated through the use of QR codes, NFC, apps, etc.”

Kim stated, “Using terms like ‘claiming damages if confirmed positive after arrival’ to deter tourists is an outdated policy,” and emphasized that “the government, the Governor of Jeju, and the Jeju Provincial Council should cooperate together” so that “Jeju residents can be fully armed with vaccines and create a ‘Green Jeju’ to warmly welcome tourists.”

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