Wando-gun Announces Winners of Population and Youth Policy Idea Contest

Published 16 May.2024 10:02(KST)

Daesang Selected for '2030 Youth Population Outflow Stop' Youth Street Development

Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do, has selected 11 winning entries for the ‘2024 Population and Youth Policy Idea Contest.’

According to the county on the 16th, the contest was held nationwide from February 5 to March 26 to discover policies that can respond to population decline and enhance regional vitality.

As a result of the contest, a total of 90 ideas were submitted in areas such as improving residential conditions, expanding the living population, responding to low birth rates and an aging society, and creating youth jobs.

Wando-gun Government Office Exterior View

Through the first round of practical screening, 30 entries were submitted to the final judging committee, which evaluated feasibility, creativity, and effectiveness to select 11 winning works.

The grand prize was awarded to ‘Stop the Outflow of the 2030 Youth Population,’ which proposes remodeling aging streets into youth districts with cafes and popular restaurants to revitalize the area.

The top excellence award went to the idea ‘Wando-gun Bowling Alley Establishment is Necessary,’ which encourages healthy hobbies and sports activities among residents.

Two excellence awards were given to ‘Make Myeongsasimni a Digital Nomad Mecca,’ which suggests creating a dedicated space near the Marine Healing Center for digital nomads to enable one-stop work, tourism, and healing, and ‘Establishing a Wando-type Rural Space Sharing Platform,’ which proposes creating various types of villages such as workation villages, leisure sports villages, and rural shared villages to enhance the value of farming and fishing villages and share them with urban residents.

Other selected ideas include △ AI marketing innovation youth programs using Wando specialties △ youth shared kitchens and shared offices △ Wando as a great place to raise children △ matching projects for returnees to farming and rural areas with local talents △ youth half-price housing △ transportation cost support for long-distance infertility treatments △ and plans to protect our hometown.

The county plans to award 1 million won in Wando Love gift certificates for the grand prize, 700,000 won for the top excellence award, 500,000 won each for excellence awards, 300,000 won each for encouragement awards, and 100,000 won each for effort awards.

Jung In-ho, Director of the Population and Job Policy Office, said, “Many people participated in the contest, and excellent ideas that can be applied to our county were discovered,” adding, “We will actively respond to population decline by reflecting the selected ideas in our policies.”