Official Launch of Korea's First Island-Dedicated Agency, the Korea Island Promotion Agency

Expectations for Roles Such as Island Development Research and Policy Discovery

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] The Korea Island Promotion Agency, a dedicated institution for comprehensive and systematic investigation and research of islands, is officially launching.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Jeonnam Province on the 7th, the Korea Island Promotion Agency, launching on the 8th, has remodeled the former port labor union building on Samhakdo Island in Mokpo City, Jeonnam. The first floor will serve as an exhibition and promotion hall and office space, while the second floor will be used as a research area.

The third floor is planned to be utilized as a central space for island research and education, including academic conferences and talent development training, through additional national funding.

The exhibition and promotion hall on the first floor will display island-related artifacts and photos donated or loaned by local governments and the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage.

The inauguration ceremony will be attended by Ha Tae-cheol, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeonnam Province, Kim Jong-sik, Mayor of Mokpo, heads of island local governments, Oh Dong-ho, Director of the Korea Island Promotion Agency, and island residents.

Due to social distancing measures, the event will be held as a small-scale gathering with fewer than 50 people. To compensate for the limited attendance, congratulatory messages from island residents will be shown via video.

The agency will operate with a staff of 35, organized into three offices?Management Support Office, Planning and Research Office, and Promotion Project Management Office?and eight teams.

Professor Jeong Soon-gwan of Suncheon National University has been appointed as chairman, and Oh Dong-ho, former head of the National Human Resources Development Institute, as director. Currently, the agency is mainly operated by public officials dispatched from island local governments.

Some staff, including department heads, will be hired next month, with additional recruitment planned for early next year. Detailed hiring plans will be announced on various websites in the future.

To commemorate its launch, the Korea Island Promotion Agency is conducting an online event.

Until the 15th, participants can share promotional posts on Instagram and Facebook on their own SNS accounts to receive prizes.

Until the 19th of next month, a slogan contest for the "Korea Island Promotion Agency" will also be held on the same accounts.

Minister Ha Tae-cheol said, “We expect the Korea Island Promotion Agency to play a significant role in presenting a vision for island development and improving the lives of island residents. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will also spare no support for the sustainable development of Korea’s islands together with the agency.”

Director Oh Dong-ho stated, “With the launch of the Korea Island Promotion Agency, Korea’s islands have entered a new era of challenges and opportunities. We will promptly stabilize the organization and create a 30-year development plan for the agency to establish it as the nation’s top island policy think tank.”

Meanwhile, the Korea Island Promotion Agency is Korea’s first dedicated institution for managing and supporting islands.

It undertakes various tasks such as research and policy development for island development, building island information systems, nurturing island talent, and promoting islands.

In particular, to ensure no region is ever neglected in policy targets, the agency plans to establish regional dedicated departments to actively engage with local communities, listen to residents’ voices, and develop policies and projects for island residents.

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