Kim Donggon’s Food Plan Keeps Cheongyang at the Top for Four Consecutive Years

Innovation Across the Entire Process from Production to Distribution and Consumption...
Cheongyang Ranks No. 1 Nationwide in Local Food, Centered on the Food Complex Town

Kim Donggon, Mayor of Cheongyang County

The Cheongyang-style Food Plan, personally designed and consistently implemented by Kim Donggon, Mayor of Cheongyang County in South Chungcheong Province, has won the grand prize in a national evaluation for four consecutive years, firmly establishing Cheongyang County as the leading local government in the local food sector nationwide.

It is assessed that achievements across all areas-from policy planning and the establishment of implementation systems to production, welfare, and public meal services-have been driven by Mayor Kim’s proactive leadership.

On December 10, Cheongyang County announced that it had received the highest S grade in the “2025 Regional Food Index Evaluation” conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, winning the grand prize for the fourth consecutive year.

Analysts attribute Cheongyang County’s ability to consistently remain at the top among 159 local governments nationwide to Mayor Kim’s strong policy drive.

From the early days of his seventh term as an elected official, Mayor Kim identified local food issues as a core agricultural policy task and established the Rural Community Division in 2019, laying the institutional foundation.

He also systematically led the “Cheongyang-style Food Plan” by personally overseeing its five key areas: building a stable production base, establishing price stabilization mechanisms, expanding public meal services, pioneering urban consumer markets, and strengthening governance.

In particular, the Food Complex Town, completed in 2023, stands out as a major achievement realized under Mayor Kim’s strong leadership.

By integrating eight facilities-including the Public Meal Support Center, Agricultural Product Processing Center, and Safety Analysis Center-into a single space, he created a system in which production, processing, inspection, and distribution/supply operate as one.

The county significantly enhanced the credibility of Cheongyang’s food by mandating inspections for 463 types of pesticide residues and two types of heavy metals. As of November 2025, a total of 2,834 inspections had been conducted, confirming stable safety management.

The connection with urban consumer markets also expanded significantly during Mayor Kim’s tenure. Achievements such as the Daejeon Hyundai Outlet Local Market, the permanent store at Lotte Department Store Daejeon, and mutual supply agreements with other local governments have diversified sales channels.

Yoon Yeogwon, Deputy Governor, is taking a commemorative photo with officials from the Rural Community Division and the Regional Revitalization Foundation. / Cheongyang County

Strengthening food welfare has also been a key focus for Mayor Kim. In 2025, meal delivery was provided to about 260 vulnerable residents, Cheongyang-grown ingredients were supplied to 90 senior centers, and healthy snacks were offered to 118 children and adolescents. Customized support through the agri-food voucher program has also been credited with increasing residents’ satisfaction.

The sales of the county’s three direct stores have continued to grow. From January to November, the Hakha branch in Daejeon recorded cumulative sales of 2.3 billion won, the Goejeong branch 340 million won, and the Tanbang branch 360 million won, demonstrating the stability of the planned production structure.

The expansion of public meal services is also noteworthy. Supply has been extended beyond local senior centers, children’s centers, welfare centers, and universities to eight external meal service sites, including government offices and the Korea Water Resources Corporation, laying the foundation for Cheongyang agricultural products to move beyond the region and into national markets. By 2025, there were 254 institutional supply sites, with cumulative sales reaching 38.1 billion won.

This year, the opening of the Food Complex Town’s Promotion and Education Center is expected to greatly expand consumer education and experiential programs.

Additionally, the activation of the Food Committee and the systematization of intermediary support organizations-both changes led by Mayor Kim-have contributed to building a private sector-driven governance structure.

Mayor Kim Donggon stated, “The Food Plan is a policy where farmers and consumers grow together. Although Cheongyang is small, it is achieving significant results. We will further strengthen the foundation so that the Cheongyang food system can be found anywhere in the country.”

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