Suncheon Mayor Noh Kwangyu Announces 200,000 Won Livelihood Recovery Grant for All Citizens

58 Billion Won from City Budget for Suncheon Love Gift Certificates
Vision for Regional Growth Based on “Imagination”
Yeosu MBC and Costco to Make Suncheon a Cultural and Economic Hub
“Efforts of City Officials and Citizens to Secure National Funds Should Not Be Undervalued”

Noh Kwan-gyu, former mayor of Suncheon City, Jeollanam-do, is speaking at a press briefing on key issues held in the small conference room of the city hall on the 20th. Provided by Suncheon City

On October 20, Noh Kwan-gyu, mayor of Suncheon City in Jeollanam-do, held a press conference in the small conference room at city hall, where he made a surprise announcement that every Suncheon citizen would receive a 200,000 won livelihood recovery grant in the form of Suncheon Love Gift Certificates. This decision, which will inject 58 billion won entirely from the city’s budget, is expected to revitalize both citizens struggling with rising prices and the local commercial sector.

The city secured funding for this grant through efficient expenditure restructuring and increased non-tax revenues, such as those from the National Garden. The support will be provided in the form of local currency to promote a virtuous cycle in the regional economy. In particular, the city plans to distribute the grant to coincide with the expiration of the government’s livelihood recovery consumption coupon program, aiming to serve as a catalyst for the recovery of the local economy. The relevant ordinance has already been submitted to the city council, and the timing of the distribution will be determined after it passes.

During the briefing, Mayor Noh outlined his vision for the region’s future growth. He stated, “We live in an era where the imagination and capabilities of leaders and local residents, rather than a region’s geopolitical location or resources, determine the rise and fall of a city,” and emphasized, “Amid the crisis of regional extinction and changes in the industrial structure, Suncheon continues to create its future, focusing on three main economic pillars and expanding into the healing industry.” These policy efforts, he noted, are not limited to attracting or relocating businesses but are also extending to the global stage, thereby enhancing Suncheon’s competitiveness.

As a specific growth engine, Mayor Noh evaluated the relocation of Yeosu MBC to Suncheon as an opportunity to establish a cooperative system between content companies such as Locus, which have moved into Suncheon, and local youth. He said this would invigorate the animation cluster and strengthen Suncheon’s position as a hub city for the cultural content industry.

He also projected that attracting Costco, the first in Gwangju and Jeonnam, would bring in more than 13 million people annually and create large-scale employment opportunities. The strategy is to draw tourists visiting Suncheon into the city center and attract outside consumers, thereby establishing Suncheon as the undisputed economic center of the South Coast region. The city also plans to address traffic congestion related to the opening of Costco and seek ways to promote coexistence with small business owners.

Suncheon City became the first basic local government in Korea to join the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and was invited to the General Assembly, sharing the city’s ecological value with the world. Mayor Noh emphasized that this is international recognition of the city’s ecological policies, built over the past 30 years through the preservation of Suncheon Bay Wetland and the creation of the National Garden. He added that it will serve as an important milestone in establishing the role of local governments on the global stage.

Meanwhile, regarding the budget for the animation cluster project that was mentioned during his recent appearance as a witness at the National Assembly audit, Mayor Noh explained, “Securing 4 billion won in national funds out of the additional 8 billion won required 23 visits to higher-level departments, which was all part of normal activities.” He further stated, “The efforts of Suncheon City officials and citizens should not be undervalued,” and pledged, “Even in challenging circumstances, I will do my utmost to ensure that Suncheon grows into a competitive city that its citizens can be proud of.”

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