Sokcho City Ramps Up Bid for "Second Public Institution Relocation"... Designing a Future City Centered on the Station Area

Sokcho City Unveils Strategy to Attract 14 Public Institutions
Leveraging Its Strength as a Key Land-Sea-Air Transport Hub for an All-Out Push to Attract Public Institutions
Mayor Lee Byungseon: "We Will Focus on Supplementing Our Tourism-Centered Industrial Structure and Establishing a Foundation for the City's Future Growth"

As the second phase of public institution relocation, a national policy task of the Lee Jaemyung administration, is underway, Sokcho City is also moving into full-scale action to attract public institutions.

Lee Byungseon, Mayor of Sokcho, held a media briefing on the 9th. Provided by Sokcho City.

On the 9th, through a media briefing presided over by Mayor Lee Byungseon, Sokcho City stated, "The most fundamental solution to addressing regional extinction is the creation of quality jobs where people can settle," adding, "We will actively pursue the attraction of public institutions in order to supplement our tourism-centered industrial structure and to establish a sustainable foundation for future growth."

The city went on to emphasize the justification for relocating public institutions, citing its emergence, following the opening of the Dongseo High-Speed Railway and the Donghae Bukbu Line, as a land-sea-air transportation hub on the East Coast of Gangwon Province connected to Yangyang International Airport and northern sea routes, as well as its status as Korea's top tourist city blessed with superb natural surroundings and as "a city where work and rest coexist."

As potential targets, the city identified 14 public institutions across six sectors - tourism, marine, environment, security, welfare, and sports - including KORAIL Tourism Development Co., Ltd., Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation, Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute, North Korean Refugees Foundation, Korea Labor Force Development Institute for the Aged, and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee.

The planned relocation site for public institutions is the Sokcho Station area development site, which was designated in 2022 by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport as a leading investment district for regional hub development. Approximately 510 billion won will be invested to develop it into a mini new town within Sokcho City.

The city plans to develop this site into a space concentrated with work, residential, cultural, educational, and medical functions, centering on a MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) complex town near the station. As it is expected to become the core of a compact city close to the old downtown, the city believes there will be significant benefits for the public institutions that relocate there.

In addition, the city plans to comprehensively promote a residential infrastructure package project linked to the attraction of public institutions, with the aim of creating a new city center that will satisfy both citizens and employees of the public institutions.

In this regard, in January the city directly visited the offices of National Assembly members, the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, and the Gangwon Research Institute to explain the need and justification for attracting public institutions. Through ongoing related research projects, the city plans to refine tailored attraction strategies for each institution and to continue proactive efforts, including on-site visits by Sokcho Mayor Lee Byungseon to the target institutions.

Mayor Lee Byungseon of Sokcho City said, "The relocation of public institutions is not about short-term results; it is a crucial choice that will determine the next 100 years of Sokcho's future," adding, "Just as all citizens joined forces in 2015 to launch the construction of the Dongseo High-Speed Railway, I ask for your interest and support in attracting public institutions."

He added, "By working closely with the central government, the National Assembly, and the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, we will surely achieve tangible results in attracting public institutions and, by linking this to future private-sector investment and restructuring the industrial ecosystem, we will build a future urban foundation that citizens can truly feel."

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