Imsil-gun Selected for Ministry of the Interior and Safety's 'Foreign Resident Area Infrastructure Development Project' Competition

Published 10 Mar.2022 13:45(KST)

[Imsil=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Nosik] Imsil-gun, Jeonbuk announced on the 10th that it has secured a total project budget of 600 million KRW (300 million KRW from the central government and 300 million KRW from local government) after being finally selected for the '2022 Infrastructure Development Project for Residential Areas of Foreign Residents, etc.' organized by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

This project is a nationwide public contest aimed at local governments to resolve inconveniences in the daily lives of foreign residents and North Korean defectors, and to promote communication and exchange with local residents.

It is intended to expand basic living infrastructure so that foreign residents, including multicultural families, can settle stably in the local community.

In this contest, 14 cities and counties nationwide were selected, including 7 locations for expanding safety and cultural convenience facilities to improve residential environments and 7 locations, including the county, for community spaces to activate communication and exchange.

The county launched the 'Project for Creating Communication Spaces for Foreign Tourists and Migrant Women Linked with Local Tourist Attractions,' aiming to support social integration by enhancing multicultural acceptance through exchanges among migrant women as main operators, tourists visiting tourist sites, local residents, and young children who are the future generation.

The communication space facility will be located at the ImsilN Cheese Sales Center inside the Imsil Cheese Theme Park, which will move to the Agricultural and Specialty Products Distribution Center in June.

A total of three facilities will be created: ▲a foreign (multicultural) communication and exchange space ▲play facilities for young children ▲and a toy rental space, where young children act as mediators for various families to interact with each other.

The county plans to proceed with the project aiming for construction completion and opening by October.

Through this, infrastructure will be established where tourists visiting the county’s tourist sites, local residents, and migrant women can eliminate prejudices against each other and communicate and exchange through young children as mediators.

The county expects this to be effective in further enhancing the tourism brand value of Imsil Cheese Theme Park and building an image as a communication tourist destination where anyone can participate.

A county official said, “Once communication spaces with foreigners and children’s play facilities are established, it is expected that more people from various social groups will visit Imsil Cheese Theme Park,” adding, “The representative tourist destination of Korea, Imsil Cheese Theme Park, is expected to be revitalized through the creation of diverse infrastructure.”