Jeonnam Provincial Council Island Development Research Group Proposes Policy Directions for Island Revitalization

The Island Development Research Association of the Jeonnam Provincial Council held the final research service report meeting on the 6th. Photo by Jeonnam Provincial Council

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] The Jeonnam Provincial Council Island Development Research Association announced on the 6th that it held the final report meeting for the research project and attended the ‘Island Future Forum’ held in commemoration of Island Day.

This research project, initiated in April under two themes, aims to seek mid- to long-term approaches and development plans to overcome the crisis of island community collapse due to continuous population decline and aging in island areas.

Professor Park Sung-hyun of Mokpo National University, who conducted the research project, presented an analysis of the current status of Jeonnam island areas, related projects, and systems in the ‘Policy Research for the Revitalization of Jeonnam Island Development.’

The ‘Policy Research to Prevent Population Outflow from Jeonnam Island Areas’ analyzed the continuously decreasing population status of island and fishing village areas, domestic and international cases, and response strategies, proposing various policy measures such as ▲strategies to respond to the disappearance of the labor population (female and young fishers) ▲plans to establish a fishing village-type job platform ▲measures to promote population inflow and strengthen community foundations.

Na Gwang-guk, representative of the research association and member of the Provincial Council (Muan 2, Democratic Party), said, “We will unite our efforts to ensure that the proposed measures in this research project achieve effectiveness by preparing institutional devices such as enacting related ordinances.”

He added, “Jeonnam Province is proactively promoting projects for island residents more than other regions, but efforts are needed to solve structural problems such as population decline and increasing aging,” and “At the level of the Jeonnam Provincial Council, we will continuously pay attention and actively cooperate to introduce differentiated policies unique to islands and resolve these issues.”

Jung Kwang-ho, chairman of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Committee (Shinan 2, Democratic Party), stated, “Island tourism in the post-COVID era is attracting attention as a non-face-to-face tourist destination where travelers can recharge more safely,” and “Since the enactment of the ‘Ordinance to Support Passenger Ship Fares in Island Areas’ earlier this year, we will continue to strive for tourism utilizing Jeonnam’s hidden island resources and for the culture and welfare of island residents.”

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