Wando-gun's Marine Healing Industry Sails Smoothly: "Sangbokdo Brings Good Fortune"

Published 05 Apr.2024 13:28(KST)

Received the Grand Prize for 'Haeyangchiyu' at the 2024 Korea Best Management Awards Ceremony

On the 5th, Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do announced that it received the grand prize in the Urban Brand Management category for "Marine Healing" at the '2024 Korea Best Management Awards' ceremony held at The Plaza Hotel Seoul on the 4th.

To overcome the crisis of local government extinction caused by low birth rates and population outflow, Wando-gun has been fostering the marine healing industry, a future growth engine industry, for the past nine years.

Marine healing is a health promotion activity that heals the mind and body using marine resources. Wando-gun, with its clean environment and diverse marine resources, is considered the optimal location for the marine healing industry and has been selected as a leading local government in the marine healing industry.

(On the right) Shin Woo-cheol, Wando County Governor, is posing for a commemorative photo after receiving the Grand Prize in the Urban Brand Management category at the 2024 Korea Best Management Awards.

In particular, it has accelerated the construction of various marine healing public facilities, and as a result of these efforts, the marine healing center equipped with 16 therapy rooms, the first of its kind in Korea, opened in November last year, putting the industry on the right track.

Since its opening, the marine healing center has welcomed over 19,000 visitors, and as the efficacy of marine healing spreads by word of mouth, it is emerging as a hot place for healing.

Additionally, centered around the marine healing center, the marine climate, marine cultural healing, Yaksan coastal healing forest, and Cheongsan marine healing park are also actively operated.

Wando-gun received high marks for leading the healthy lives of the people through marine healing, earning the honor of the award.

Governor Shin Woo-cheol expressed his ambition, saying, "The marine healing industry is a future 100-year food industry possible only in our Wando, and we will successfully establish it to promote regional development through job and income creation."

He added, "Based on marine healing, we will develop Wando into a wellness marine tourism city and Korea’s representative healing island to revitalize the region."

Meanwhile, Wando-gun has won four crowns in the marine healing field alone, including the K-Wellness Brand Grand Prize for two consecutive years at the '2023 K-Wellness Food & Tourism Fair,' the grand prize at the 'K-Brand Awards,' and the highest award at the first 'Korean Local Government Innovation Award' by the Korean Local Government Association.