Wando County Governor Shin Woo-cheol Holds Policy Talk Concert with Residents

Published 10 Jul.2023 09:34(KST)

One Year of the 8th Civilian Administration: Commitment to Opening the Horizon of Healing Island Wando

On the 7th, Shin Woo-cheol, the mayor of Wando County, held a ‘Policy Talk Concert’ to mark the first anniversary of the 8th local government, sharing with residents the progress of key projects and future visions.

According to the county on the 10th, since the declaration of the future vision on July 1 last year, the county has been rapidly advancing policies across all areas of administration over the past year, including attracting the National Marine Fisheries Museum, the full-scale operation of the Marine Culture Healing Center and Marine Healing Park, signing agreements to attract private investment related to marine healing, holding overseas seafood promotional events and export agreements in the U.S. and other countries, introducing foreign seasonal workers, securing national funding for the Gwangju-Wando Expressway and comprehensive island development projects, expanding residents’ safety insurance, and completing various sports facilities such as the Cheonghaejin Sports Center.

Additionally, Wando was selected for 29 public contest projects, including the fishing village new vitality promotion project and rural spatial maintenance project in the agricultural heritage district, securing about 188 billion KRW in national funds. The county also recorded 29 awards, including excellent cases of proactive administration, the K-Wellness Brand Award (marine healing sector), and the top prize at the International Slow City Excellent Case Contest.

Shin Woo-cheol, Wando County Governor, held a policy concert with the residents on the 7th to share the future vision marking the first year of the 8th local government term.
[Photo by Wando County]

Mayor Shin attributed the achievements to the residents, stating, “The 8th local government is a crucial period for Wando’s future. Projects initiated during the 6th and 7th terms have been continuously pursued without interruption, allowing us to achieve the intended results through diligent efforts over the past year.” He added, “We will steadily promote the marine healing industry, marine bio-industry, and the construction of a marine wellness tourism city, which are being led domestically, to open a new horizon for the marine industry in our county.”

The Policy Talk Concert was held at the Cultural and Arts Center, attended by about 500 residents including farmers, fishery workers, youth, and women. The event consisted of a pre-event, policy talk, and a Q&A session to listen to residents’ voices.

The policy talk was conducted in an interview format, covering major topics such as △ achievements of large-scale events and festivals including the Jeonnam Sports Festival △ progress and expected effects of the marine healing and marine bio-industries △ strategies for building a wellness marine tourism city △ excellence of seafood products △ plans for overseas market development △ responses to climate change in fisheries △ measures to strengthen competitiveness of agricultural and livestock products △ passing the preliminary feasibility study for the National Subtropical Arboretum △ construction of the National Marine Fisheries Museum △ expressway construction and other SOC projects △ and welfare policies.

Mayor Shin emphasized in his explanation of key projects and administrative directions, “When public facilities such as the Marine Healing Center have their grand opening in September, we will provide Wando’s unique ‘wellness healing tourism services’ to attract tourists and create jobs, marking a major turning point in economic development.”

He continued, “The marine bio-industry, specializing in seaweed, will become a successful model for the fishing village economy. By linking it with marine healing, we will open the era of ten million tourists through the wellness tourism industry, accelerating Wando’s leap forward.”

Furthermore, plans include accelerating the construction of the National Subtropical Arboretum and the National Marine Fisheries Museum, early commencement of the Wando-Gwangju Expressway and Wando-Goheung Coastal Tourism Road, and the promotion of demand-oriented customized welfare policies.

After the policy talk, a Q&A session was held to respond to residents’ opinions submitted online in advance and questions from the venue. The county plans to collect residents’ opinions, review them through the responsible departments, and reflect them in policies.

Finally, Mayor Shin Woo-cheol promised, “We will continue to expand communication and empathy with residents, confirm the residents’ perception of the administration, and lead an administration that meets their expectations. Based on today’s discussion, we will pioneer a dynamic and innovative path of change to complete Wando’s future vision.”