Jeonnam Governor Kim Young-rok: "I Will Do My Best to Prepare for Jeonnam's Next 100 Years"

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam Province unveiled its blueprint for the new year 2022 as the ‘New Marine and Eco-friendly Capital Jeonnam.’

Governor Kim Young-rok of Jeonnam presented the 2022 provincial administration direction on the 28th, including future development strategies in seven major sectors.

Building on achievements such as opening an era of an 11 trillion KRW provincial budget and 8 trillion KRW in national treasury funds next year, the blueprint aims to mark 2022 as the inaugural year of ‘the Pan-Pacific era, building the new marine and eco-friendly capital Jeonnam,’ presenting Jeonnam’s future for the next 100 years expanding globally.

The province secured a large amount of national treasury budget to drive regional development throughout this year.

Specifically, ▲this year marks the first-ever 11 trillion KRW provincial budget era ▲next year’s national treasury budget reflects a record high of 8.004 trillion KRW ▲90 new national treasury budget projects worth 222.4 billion KRW were included ▲Blue Economy national treasury budget reached a record high of 2.4382 trillion KRW (a 45% increase from the previous year) ▲with the second phase of fiscal decentralization, 3 trillion KRW in national funds were secured and a 1 trillion KRW local extinction fund was newly established, laying the foundation for regional development.

In the economic and job sectors, ▲the enactment of the ‘Korea Energy Technology University Act’ and securing government support ▲an investment agreement of 48 trillion KRW for an 8.2GW offshore wind power complex ▲attracting NHN and Oracle data centers ▲during the 7th local government term, attracting investments of 22 trillion KRW from 900 companies, establishing global competitiveness.

In the SOC sector, ▲inclusion of Jeolla Line high-speed railway and Gwangju-Naju metropolitan railway in national plans ▲construction started on the land and island bridges between Sinan Amhae and Mokpo Yuldo, and Dallido and Haenam Hwawon ▲passing feasibility studies for the Yeosu-Namhae undersea tunnel and Sinan Bigeum-Amtae island bridge, completing the Dadohae Sunshine Way.

In agriculture and fisheries, ▲attracting the Agricultural Food Climate Change Response Center ▲winning four awards for the Namdo Market brand and achieving annual sales of 50 billion KRW ▲leading the nation with the most rural living SOC projects such as Fishing Village New Deal 300 and Rural Agreements ▲opening the Korea Island Promotion Agency, proactively responding to climate change and focusing on increasing farmers’ and fishermen’s income.

In tourism and culture, ▲Jeonnam tidal flats registered as UNESCO World Natural Heritage ▲Sinan Purple Island selected as the UN’s best tourism village ▲construction started on Mokpo Jangjwado and Yeosu Challenge Park ▲securing national funds for Haenam Osiano Resort Hotel ▲opening Sinan Jaeun Marine Tourism Complex ▲opening Jeonnam Provincial Museum of Art ▲approval for the construction of the Namdo Uprising History Museum, laying the foundation to leap into a world-class tourism, culture, and arts hotspot.

In the citizen happiness sector, ▲operating welfare mobile teams and emergency volunteer groups at disaster sites ▲nation’s first 1,000 KRW passenger ferry service for island residents ▲providing free safety insurance for residents ▲issuing Jeonnam Love Citizen Cards ▲nation’s first free milk supply for elementary students ▲first-ever marriage congratulatory money at the provincial level ▲providing ‘Cheer Up Hope Scholarships’ for university seniors ▲implementing Clean Jeonnam Best Village project ▲enacting the ‘Yeosu-Suncheon 10·19 Incident Special Act,’ realizing an era of happiness for Jeonnam residents.

In international events, Jeonnam International Ink Biennale, International Agricultural Expo, and the 1st Kim Dae-jung Peace Conference were held as representative international events of Korea, and national funds were secured for the 2023 Suncheonman International Garden Expo. The 2026 Yeosu World Expo also received international event approval.

Based on these achievements, the province presented a future blueprint in seven major sectors to realize the vision of ‘building the new marine and eco-friendly capital Jeonnam in the Pan-Pacific era’ in 2022.

First, to secure growth engines for Jeonnam’s next 100 years, the province will pursue ▲attracting specialized research institutions and advanced companies to the Korea Energy Technology University industry-academia-research cluster ▲attracting ultra-high-power laser research facilities and artificial sun engineering research institutes ▲building the National Vaccine Safety Technology Center and National Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Center ▲establishing a space launch vehicle industry cluster ▲the nation’s largest secondary battery cathode material production base ▲developing the Gwangyang Bay petrochemical complex into a national hub for advanced new materials and eco-friendly petrochemical materials.

To lead the global energy transition responding to climate change, the province will focus on ▲enacting the ‘Special Act on Promotion of Wind Power Generation’ to create an offshore wind power industry ecosystem, designating integrated complexes and win-win jobs, developing support piers and specialized industrial complexes, and applying resident profit-sharing models ▲developing green hydrogen commercialization technologies ▲creating green hydrogen energy islands ▲enacting the ‘Special Act on Leading Climate Change Response Zones’ ▲establishing carbon-neutral specialized complexes ▲hosting COP33.

Welcoming the Jeonnam SOC Renaissance era and aiming to become a gateway in the Pan-Pacific era, the province will pursue ▲completion of the second phase of Honam Line high-speed railway, Kyungjeon Line fast track, and early completion of Jeolla Line high-speed railway ▲establishing a one-hour transportation network within the province including Gwangju-Hwasun metropolitan railway, Gwangju-Goheung, and Yeongam-Jindo expressways ▲developing Gwangyang Port as the nation’s first automated pier and Mokpo Port as an eco-friendly shipbuilding and offshore wind power hub port ▲extending the runway at Muan International Airport to become a southwestern hub airport ▲and promptly starting construction of Heuksan Airport.

In the post-COVID-19 era, to globalize K-tourism through premium Jeonnam tourism, the province will operate ▲the 2022-2023 Jeollanam-do Year of Visit ▲build a Jeonnam metaverse promotional hall ▲attract the National Mahan History and Culture Center and register it as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage ▲reflect Jeonnam tourism development projects in the southern region’s metropolitan tourism development plan.

To strengthen the global competitiveness of future life industries through convergence of agriculture and fisheries, the province will focus on ▲creating a national advanced agricultural industry convergence complex ▲attracting kimchi raw material supply complexes ▲establishing the National Namdo Food Promotion Institute ▲nurturing 10,000 young farmers by 2030 ▲building a kim industry innovation cluster and implementing a dried seaweed quality control system ▲constructing the National Marine Fisheries Museum.

The ‘citizen-first happiness policies’ to realize citizen priority include ▲expanding welfare mobile team beneficiaries to 7,500 households ▲securing a national medical school after 30 years of aspiration ▲introducing youth culture welfare cards and expanding marriage congratulatory money and infertility treatment expenses for young couples ▲introducing first meeting vouchers and infant allowances in women and children sectors, postpartum care home visits for childbirth families, medical services for pregnant women and infants, child meals, and expanding happiness vouchers for women farmers ▲introducing happiness travel activity support funds for the disabled and expanding voucher taxis for transportation-vulnerable groups ▲introducing war bereaved and military police families’ honor allowances, expanding honor allowances for veterans, introducing treatment improvement allowances for youth leaders, and introducing accident insurance premiums for social welfare facility workers.

In cooperation with Gwangju, Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam, the province plans to build ‘the new marine and eco-friendly capital Jeonnam in the Pan-Pacific era’ in the southern Namhae region, comparable to the economic capital of the metropolitan area and the administrative capital of the central region.

Major projects include ▲relocation of marine and environmental public institutions ▲Namhae elastic material belt ▲creation of the Namhae global marine tourism belt ▲establishment of the Yeonghonam east-west inland tourism belt.

Governor Kim said, “Despite the difficulties caused by COVID-19, the valuable achievements in major pending projects this year were possible because all residents dreamed and worked together. As we enter the Year of the Brave Tiger, Im In-nyeon, we will do our best to recover precious daily life and the economy from COVID-19 and prepare for Jeonnam’s future 100 years.”

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