Naju-si to Host 'Yeongsangang Academic Conference' at Eoullim Center on the 14th

[Naju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong] Naju City, Jeollanam-do, will hold the ‘Yeongsan River Academic Conference’ on the 14th at 10 a.m. in the multipurpose room on the 2nd floor of the Yeonggang-dong Eoullim Center, in collaboration with the Honam Cultural Contents Research Institute of National Mokpo University.

According to the city on the 12th, this academic conference is themed ‘The Heritage of the Yeongsan River and the Scenic Value of the Neureoji Basin,’ aiming to reexamine the value of the Yeongsan River together with citizens and to devise policies for revitalizing the local economy and tourism by utilizing the river’s historical, cultural, and ecological resources.

The city plans to gather opinions from academia and experts participating in the conference to draft a blueprint that will develop the Yeongsan River’s pristine ecological environment and historical and cultural values?considered the lifeline of the southern region?not as a thing of the past but as a future growth engine for the region through tourism resource development.

Since the launch of the 8th elected administration, Mayor Yoon Byung-tae has emphasized the Yeongsan River as a core resource for regional development.

He is focusing on establishing the Yeongsan River ecological tourism belt, which includes making regional attractions such as Neureoji Observatory, Useupje, Naju Bridge, Yeongsanpo Sports Park, Ddeuldeul Riverside, Naju Lake, and Dado Dam, all blessed with a pristine ecological environment, as well as creating the Yeongsan River National Garden using the river’s floodplain and developing the Yeongsan River Premium 300-ri Bicycle Path.

The academic conference will be held in two sessions, morning and afternoon, under the themes ‘Current Status and Prospects of Yeongsan River’s Cultural and Natural Heritage’ and ‘Scenic Value of the Yeongsan River Neureoji Area.’

In the first session, presentations will cover the current status and prospects of Yeongsan River’s cultural and natural heritage, including ‘Water Culture Heritage and the Yeongsan River’ by Hong Seok-jun, Director of the Mokpo University Institute of Island Culture; ‘Historical Status of Earthenware Culture Heritage in the Yeongsan River Basin’ by Han Seong-wook, Chairman of the Institute of National Cultural Heritage, and Lee Ji-young, Curator at the National Wanju Cultural Heritage Research Institute; ‘Value of Household Tool Heritage and the Yeongsan River’ by Lee Hye-yeon, Researcher at the Honam Cultural Contents Research Institute of Mokpo University; and ‘River Heritage Policy Tasks and the Yeongsan River’ by Lee Chang-hoon, Deputy Director of the Honam Cultural Contents Research Institute of Mokpo University.

The second session will address the scenic value of the Yeongsan River Neureoji area with presentations on ‘Topographical and Geological Value of the Neureoji Area’ by Jeong Cheol-hwan, Professor of Earth Environment Science at Chonnam National University; ‘Plant and Ecological Value of the Neureoji Area’ by Hong Seon-gi, Chairman of the Korea Island Foundation; ‘Animal and Ecological Value of the Neureoji Area’ by Son Seok-jun, Director of the Korea Wildlife Ecology Research Institute; and ‘A Study on the Exchange among Figures in the Simnyeon’s Sigyeongjeong and Gokgang Area’ by Jeong Il, former Professor of Chinese Language and Literature at Mokpo University.

After the presentations, there will be a free discussion and Q&A session chaired by Kang Bong-ryong, Director of the Honam Cultural Contents Research Institute of Mokpo University, with participation from presenters, academic officials, and citizens.

Starting with this academic conference, the city plans to continuously promote research and surveys for reinterpretation and development of the historical value of the natural and cultural heritage of the Yeongsan River, hold citizen academies and academic conferences, and pursue designation as scenic sites.

Mayor Yoon Byung-tae said, “The Yeongsan River, which winds through the Naju Plain, has pristine ecological environments and tourism resources at each regional element. We will include tourism resource development projects for each Yeongsan River area, including the Donggang Neureoji, which offers views of the Korean Peninsula’s terrain, in the southern Jeollanam-do regional tourism development plan to promote cultural and tourism industry revitalization centered on the Yeongsan River.”

Naju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong baekok@asiae.co.kr

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