Haenam-gun Completes Vision for 7th Term with ESG Ethical Management

Published 04 Jan.2022 11:21(KST)

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The 2022 opening ceremony and the Haenam-style ESG vision proclamation ceremony were held. Photo by Asia Economy

[Haenam＝Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do, is completing the county administration vision of the 7th elected term, "Shining Land’s End, Haenam Running Again," through ESG ethical management.

According to the county on the 4th, the Haenam-type ESG vision proclamation ceremony was held along with the 2022 opening ceremony on the 3rd.

County Governor Myeong Hyun-gwan declared in his New Year's address, “We will expand ESG management, which encompasses Environment, Social responsibility, and Governance and has emerged as a national task, into the administrative domain and make it a growth engine for development across all areas of county administration.”

Governor Myeong stated, “This year, we aim to faithfully complete the promises made to the residents during the 7th elected term and realize the shining vision of Haenam. While prioritizing the safety and health of residents to overcome COVID-19, we will spread the value of ethical management, which is gaining attention as an alternative for sustainable development in our society, throughout all fields of county administration.”

At the vision proclamation ceremony, Governor Myeong Hyun-gwan and representatives of department employees read the vision proclamation. They announced five major policy tasks including leading climate change response, establishing a safety net, fairness and transparency, and five practical tasks involving residents such as refraining from using disposable products and participating in resident-participatory resource circulation projects.

Haenam-gun, which has received the highest SA grade in the Manifesto for three consecutive years and achieved a comprehensive integrity grade of 2 for four consecutive years, plans to actively introduce ESG ethical management indicators into the county administration based on the 7th elected term’s administrative policy of “Fairness, Equity, and Transparency.”

As a key project, the National Agricultural and Food Climate Change Response Center and the Carbon Neutral Edu Center, both located in Haenam, will be developed as core hubs establishing Haenam’s status as the number one place for climate change response and carbon neutrality.

Additionally, Haenam will protect its pristine nature and discover regional joint tasks to reduce carbon emissions across all industrial sectors including eco-friendly agriculture and fisheries, actively implementing them with the consensus of residents.

In particular, based on the “Fairness, Equity, and Transparency” administrative policy that has enhanced residents’ pride over the past three years, the county administration of integrity and trust will be transformed into “upright and competent ethical management” to foster a sustainable growth engine for administrative development.

Major key projects in Haenam-gun for 2022 include forming a support group for establishing the National Agricultural and Food Climate Change Response Center in the agricultural sector, completing preliminary procedures early, and focusing all efforts on securing national funding to ensure the center’s establishment by 2025 without setbacks.

Related efforts include discovering new income crops for climate change response, expanding advanced agriculture and new industries, and promoting eco-friendly agriculture to lead future farming.

From this year, the establishment of a wide-area vegetable shipment control center and a kimchi raw material supply complex will be actively pursued to globalize Haenam cabbage and Haenam kimchi, along with promoting the branding of Haenam sweet potatoes through the establishment of a sweet potato research center.

Notably, regional projects such as the installation of the Osiano Tourist Complex sewage treatment plant, modernization of local waterworks, Haenam-eup urban regeneration New Deal project, creation of Haenam Citizen Square, development of the European Village theme park, and revitalization of the Solar City corporate city are taking concrete shape. The county plans to accelerate these projects without leakage to allow early realization of their effects.

The Usuyeong tourist site has completed infrastructure such as the Usuyeong historical tourism village project and will significantly expand nighttime scenery to become a representative stay-type tourist destination. Efforts to expand tourism infrastructure are also being intensified with projects like the Duryunsan ecological healing park, complex leisure theme park, and the Land’s End Park in the Ttangkkeut area.

Resident autonomy capabilities have also grown significantly. Last year, resident autonomy organizations were established in all 14 towns and townships, and this year, all will be converted into resident autonomy councils to prepare for a genuine era of local autonomy.

The scholarship fund project, which has been actively promoted with enthusiastic participation from residents and aims to raise 50 billion KRW, plans to establish a provisional Haenam Education Foundation to systematically support educational projects.

Governor Myeong Hyun-gwan said, “With the determination of the 7th elected term’s ‘Direct Heart Must Succeed’ spirit, we have steadily walked toward the great goal of a shining Haenam, resulting in not only enhancing Haenam’s external status but also restoring residents’ pride. Now, with the increased capabilities, we will create a leap opportunity to establish a clean and trusted administration and a competent and capable administration through upright and competent ethical management, laying the foundation for the region’s centennial future.”