South Jeolla Province to Develop Hampyeong as Leading Ecotourism and Central City in the Southwest Region

Governor Kim Yungrok Attends Hampyeong Policy Vision Tour
Presents Vision for the Development of "K-Ecological City Hampyeong"
Attracting RE100 Industrial Complexes Utilizing Bitgreen Industrial Complex

A future vision has been presented to develop Hampyeong County in South Jeolla Province into the "leading city for ecological tourism in Korea," while also turning it into a central city in the southwestern region through the utilization of the Bitgreen Industrial Complex for "ultra-wide-area K-mobility" and attracting RE100 (100% renewable energy) industrial complexes.

On October 28, South Jeolla Province held the "Hampyeong County Policy Vision Tour" at the Eoulrim Community Center in Hampyeong-eup, with Governor Kim Yungrok, Hampyeong County Mayor Lee Sangik, Provincial Assemblyman Mo Jeonghwan (Democratic Party, Hampyeong), Hampyeong County Council Chairman Lee Namoh, and about 120 young people and residents in attendance.

The Policy Vision Tour is an upgraded version of the "Dialogue with Residents" that South Jeolla Province conducted until last year, now held in the form of an on-site policy communication meeting. In particular, at these Policy Vision Tour events targeting 22 cities and counties, South Jeolla Province, together with the Jeonnam Research Institute, has been receiving positive responses by proposing tailored future visions for each region based on their respective potential and capabilities.

In his welcoming remarks, Governor Kim Yungrok of South Jeolla Province emphasized, "Hampyeong is a city where advanced industries are emerging, centered around the Bitgreen National Industrial Complex, and it will become a hub for future vehicles and new material industries in the southwestern region." He further encouraged Hampyeong's outstanding policies, saying, "The total fertility rate also surged to 1.32 last year, ranking sixth nationwide, thanks to Hampyeong's unique policies such as academic incentive grants."

At the event, the Jeonnam Research Institute presented the future core policy vision for Hampyeong County under the slogan, "Hampyeong, a K-ecological city inspired by nature, innovating Korea's future mobility and livestock industries," based on the county's development potential. The eight major future visions proposed by the institute are: ▲ The center of ultra-wide-area K-mobility, Bitgreen Industrial Complex ▲ Attracting RE100 industrial complexes and creating a Jeonnam-style green digital city ▲ Major transformation of K-livestock, with Hampyeong as the center of AI livestock ▲ Achieving 50 billion won in agricultural exports by establishing the K-HC Food Valley ▲ Hampyeong leaping forward through sports, aiming for a hole-in-one ▲ Becoming Korea's leading city for ecological tourism embraced by nature ▲ Establishing a marine healing workation ▲ Building a dense transportation network.

During the subsequent policy discussion, Hampyeong residents, Governor Kim Yungrok, and directors of South Jeolla Province's departments engaged in a Q&A session. Kim Youngseok, a resident of Wolcheon 5-ri, Sonbul-myeon, requested, "The Wolcheon district in Sonbul-myeon is a low-lying area that suffers from flooding every year due to poor natural drainage during high tide. To prevent this, a small-scale drainage improvement project is needed, including the construction of a new drainage reservoir and a 1.2 km drainage channel."

In response, Governor Kim Yungrok said, "It seems that frequent flooding occurs because there is only one drainage gate. Since this area is already designated as a disaster risk zone, we will make sure to take action if an application for a small-scale drainage improvement project is submitted."

Regarding the request from resident Lee Sangmin of Wonsun-ri to designate Pyeongneungcheon in Nasan-myeon as a natural disaster risk zone, Governor Kim replied, "Currently, Pyeongneungcheon is not designated as a natural disaster risk zone. If Hampyeong County officially designates it, we will ensure that it is included in the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's maintenance plan."

Residents also proposed support for the Hampyeong coastal road construction project, expansion of support for facilities to prevent livestock heat damage, creation of a smart eco-friendly year-round fig production complex, and strengthening support to enhance the overseas competitiveness of Hampyeong's agricultural specialties.

Hampyeong County Mayor Lee Sangik requested active support from South Jeolla Province, stating, "The 'Hampyeong Future Regional Development Vision Project,' jointly announced with South Jeolla Province in 2023 and worth 1.84 trillion won, will transform Hampyeong into a new growth model for Korea by overcoming the region's poor financial conditions and creating its own growth engine."

Governor Kim Yungrok of South Jeolla Province emphasized, "Hampyeong is the most peaceful and prosperous land in Honam, where culture and ecology are alive and tradition and innovation coexist. We will provide unwavering support so that Hampyeong can leap further and higher."

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