Wando County Scores Big in Local Extinction Response Fund, Sweeps 12 Billion Won

Only 8 Out of 89 Regions Receive "Excellent" Rating, Wando Achieves Top Grade for the First Time
Haenam and Jindo Also Secure 8 Billion Won Each... 28 Billion Won for Southwestern South Jeolla

Wando County in South Jeolla Province has secured 12 billion won after receiving the highest grade, "Excellent," in the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s 2026 Local Extinction Response Fund evaluation. This is the first time Wando County has achieved the top grade.

On December 3, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced the results of its evaluation of 89 local governments nationwide that are at risk of population extinction. Through a three-stage review process-consisting of document, on-site, and face-to-face evaluations-eight regions, including Wando County, were selected as excellent areas.

Wando County Office Exterior View

Wando County received high marks for its focused initiatives such as developing "Wando, the Island of Healing," supporting youth entrepreneurship and housing in the blue food sector, and improving maritime transportation.

An official from the county stated, "Having secured the highest grade and the largest project budget, we will actively pursue policies to prevent local extinction."

On the same day, Assemblyman Park Jie-won’s office announced that, in addition to Wando County, Haenam County and Jindo County were also allocated 8 billion won each, bringing the total for the three counties in the southwestern region of South Jeolla to 28 billion won. For Haenam and Jindo, this amount increased by 800 million won from last year’s 7.2 billion won.

Assemblyman Park commented, "While one reason is that the Ministry of the Interior and Safety shifted its evaluation criteria from a facility-centered approach to a people-centered one focused on population inflow, above all, it is the result of the dedicated efforts of Wando County officials."

The Local Extinction Response Fund is a project that invests 1 trillion won annually for ten years starting in 2022, distributing funds to local governments selected through a public contest.

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