Honam Society Launched to Promote Honam Region Mega City Initiative

First Private Organization Advocating the "Window of a Thousand Years of Honam"
Honam Megacity and Economic Alliance to Counter Capital Region Dominance and Regional Extinction
Over 4,000 Members Form 41 Regional Forums Across Gwangju, Jeonnam, and Jeonbuk

The Honam Society, a collective intelligence think tank of 20 million Honam people domestically and abroad and a proponent of Honam's thousand-year legacy, held its inaugural ceremony on the 22nd at Mudeung Hall on the 2nd floor of Gwangju City Hall, with about 200 attendees including the founding representative and representatives of regional founding committees. Photo by Honam Society

As the crisis of regional extinction continues to intensify, the Honam Society (President Jung Yangki), the first large-scale non-profit private organization covering Gwangju, Jeonnam, and Jeonbuk, held its inaugural ceremony and was officially launched, drawing attention to its future role.

The Honam Society, which aims to be a collective intelligence think tank for 20 million Honam people at home and abroad and a "Window of a Thousand Years of Honam," was launched on the 22nd at Mudeung Hall on the 2nd floor of Gwangju City Hall, with about 200 people in attendance, including founding representatives and representatives of regional promotion committees.

The Honam Society, which has formed 41 regional forums across 3 cities and provinces and consists of about 4,000 members, was established to seek alternatives and support activities for the development of the Honam community through the Honam Megacity Economic Alliance, promote harmony and co-prosperity between Yeongnam and Honam, achieve balanced national development and unification, and contribute to international good neighborly relations.

In his welcoming address, Jung Yangki, the inaugural president (Chairman of the Korea Local Government Research Institute), stated, "The Honam Society will do its utmost to open a new era for the Honam community by serving as a bridge between local governments. In addition to projects commemorating and promoting a thousand years of Jeolla (Honam), we plan to select 'Honam 100-Year Talents' and establish the 'Honam Society Grand Prize' every year to discover and honor individuals, organizations, and local governments that have contributed to the development of the Honam community."

At the launch ceremony, National Assembly members Lee Gaeho, Min Hyungbae, and Yang Bunam attended, while Gwangju Mayor Kang Gijung, Jeonnam Governor Kim Youngrok, and Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Governor Kim Kwanyoung sent congratulatory messages via video. Former Prime Minister Kim Bu-gyeom, National Assembly member Joo Cheolhyeon, Gwangju City Council Chair Shin Sujeong, Jeonnam Provincial Council Chair Kim Taegyun, Gwangju Superintendent of Education Lee Jeongseon, and Jeonnam Superintendent of Education Kim Daejung also sent video messages.

In his congratulatory address, Gwangju Mayor Kang Gijung said, "I hope the Honam Society will propose many good policies so that Korea can achieve balanced development by breaking the dominance of the capital region."

Kim Youngrok, Governor of Jeonnam, said, "Last July, we declared the 'Honam Megacity Economic Alliance,' and to resolve the long-standing conflict between Yeongnam and Honam and achieve balanced national development, the governors of Yeongnam and Honam are also devising a 'Southern Region Yeongnam-Honam Mega-Regional Economic Community Strategy.' We will listen closely to the valuable opinions of the Honam Society and open a new chapter for the Honam Renaissance to lead Korea's next 100 years."

Kim Kwanyoung, Governor of Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province, said, "Last year, Gwangju, Jeonnam, and Jeonbuk declared the Honam Megacity Economic Alliance, and this year, we will achieve substantial cooperation. We will work closely with Gwangju and Jeonnam to attract the 2036 Summer Olympics to Jeonbuk. I look forward to the role of the Honam Society."

Meanwhile, at the inauguration ceremony, Professor Naju Mong of Chonnam National University (Department of Economics) gave a commemorative lecture on "The Window of a Thousand Years of Honam, Toward a New Era for Honam," citing the crisis of regional extinction, digital transformation, and green transition as the three major megatrends of the region. He presented a "Honam Megacity" plan based on a strategic approach involving interlinked hub cities and wide-area cooperation agreements, referencing the case of Fukuoka, Japan.

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