‘Creativity, Convergence, Innovation’ … Mayor Lee Kang-deok Dedicates Efforts to Building a Sustainable Pohang

Construction of a Central City in the East Sea Rim: Expanding Future Value, Enhancing Livelihood Vitality, and Improving Urban Prestige

Mayor Lee Gang-deok: "We Will Do Our Best to Become a Hub City on the East Coast Across All Sectors"

"Based on creativity, convergence, and innovation in 2024, we will strive to expand future value, revitalize people's livelihoods, and enhance urban dignity to build Pohang as a sustainable hub city of the East Sea."

Mayor Lee Gang-deok of Pohang is explaining the direction of city administration this year during a New Year's press conference held on the 2nd in the city hall's main conference room.

On the 2nd, Mayor Lee Kang-deok of Pohang held a New Year's press conference in the city hall's main conference room and presented the direction of city administration for this year.

First, Mayor Lee explained the key achievements Pohang has accomplished with its citizens last year, including ▲ attracting large-scale investments worth 7.4 trillion KRW ▲ designation of a national advanced strategic industry secondary battery anode material specialized complex ▲ passing the preliminary feasibility study for the hydrogen fuel cell cluster construction ▲ selection of POSTECH as one of the 30 Glocal Universities ▲ and the opening of the SRT bound for Suseo.

He then announced the 2024 slogan, "Pohang, a sustainable East Sea hub city through creativity, convergence, and innovation," expressing the will to leap forward as an East Sea hub city responsible for the next 100 years by integrating the innovative thinking of creative talents based on achievements made since the 6th local government administration, where the dreams and challenges of all citizens are realized.

To realize this, Mayor Lee presented three major directions for city administration: ▲ expanding future value ▲ revitalizing people's livelihoods ▲ enhancing urban dignity.

First, Pohang plans to continuously expand its potential future value to secure sustainable urban competitiveness.

The city will accelerate efforts such as early revision (fast track) of the basic management plan for the Blue Valley National Industrial Complex, timely supply of industrial water, and establishment of a stable power infrastructure, leveraging the designation of the secondary battery specialized complex and the groundbreaking of the battery resource recycling cluster as stepping stones.

Additionally, by designating a global battery innovation special zone and establishing the Secondary Battery Industry Promotion Institute, Pohang aims to support resident companies and become a mega cluster of the secondary battery industry with the largest domestic anode material mass production system of 1 million tons through customized workforce training.

With the implementation of the Distributed Energy Act expected to rapidly grow related industries this year, Pohang plans to become a leading K-hydrogen economy city in Korea centered on the hydrogen fuel cell cluster. Alongside this, the city will focus on gathering bio companies in the Convergence Technology Industrial Zone and dedicating efforts to the national advanced strategic industry bio specialized complex to establish itself as a "Bio Patriotism" city.

Last year, Pohang supported the creation of a 1.5 trillion KRW global data campus within the Blue Valley Industrial Complex and this year will designate a Gyeongbuk-type digital innovation hub to advance industry through the convergence of manufacturing and digital technology. The city will also continue generous support to establish the Yeongilman Venture Valley, where young people's dreams and challenges can be realized, through the establishment of a global industry-academia cooperation center.

Pohang will actively pursue policies to become a city where citizens enjoy a prosperous livelihood. Recognizing that the best livelihood policy is job creation, the city will devote all efforts to creating quality jobs.

With most of Pohang's industrial complexes spanning 12 million pyeong already sold out, the city will expedite the supply of Yeongilman 4 General Industrial Complex and the second phase of the Blue Valley National Industrial Complex. Based on the new industry development strategy master plan, Pohang will also create new industrial complexes early to meet the large-scale demand of advanced industries, continuing investment attraction and job creation.

Moreover, with the groundbreaking of the International Exhibition and Convention Center this year, Pohang will foster a systematic and differentiated MICE industry by proactively attracting international events and strengthening management operations, generating many jobs and high added value.

Alongside this, the city will convert aging industrial complexes into eco-friendly and digital complexes, support small business owners in pioneering online sales channels, build a visitor complex cultural center at Jukdo Market, and continue tailored projects for rural and fishing villages. To provide detailed welfare responses by generation and strengthen the local public medical system, Pohang will minimize care gaps and further enhance the treatment of national veterans.

Finally, the city plans to continuously expand urban infrastructure to create a dignified city where everyone wants to live.

Mayor Lee emphasized the necessity of establishing a medical school at POSTECH to prevent the collapse of regional medical services and lead the local era, strongly demanding the central government to establish the POSTECH medical school and secure enrollment quotas.

Following POSTECH's official designation as one of the 30 Glocal Universities last year, the city will focus on designating Handong University this year to ensure universities become centers for solving regional issues and promoting local development.

Mayor Lee expressed his ambition for Pohang to stand tall as a representative city leading the local era through the creation of a Global Corporate Innovation Park, designation of an Opportunity Development Special Zone to attract metropolitan area companies, and designation of an Education Development Special Zone to secure educational diversity.

The Greenway project to transform the entire downtown into a green ecological space will continue without interruption to expand the green pedestrian network. Eco-villages and Green Bio Parks will be promoted based on principles of eco-friendly facilities, resident consensus, and sufficient incentives, reflecting local residents' opinions.

The Yeongilman Bridge is planned to be issued as a turnkey project this year through consultations with central government ministries, and the Dongbin Bridge will be completed promptly to complete the "Economic and Tourism Bridge." Fundamental disaster response infrastructure such as the maintenance of the Hyeongsan River national stream, expansion of the Ocheon Hangsa Dam, and urban retention basins will be carefully managed.

To provide citizens with high-quality cultural content befitting a legally designated cultural city, the city will build two facilities: a municipal museum and a municipal art museum, host the 2024 Korea Reading Festival, and increase accessible sports facilities for citizens' enjoyment.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok said, "In a situation where the risk of local extinction is growing, it is necessary to draw out latent capabilities for the region to survive. Through our experience and know-how, we will do our best to make the East Coast a hub city across all fields including economy, society, and culture so that citizens can take pride in their city."

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