[Interview] Haenam Governor Myung Hyunkwan: "Turning a 1% possibility into 99% certainty"... Running for a third term

Budget Doubled and Competitive Public Projects Tripled in 8 Years of Popularly Elected Administration
Investments Confirmed from Samsung SDS, KEPCO KDN, LS Cable and Others
"A Great Leap as the AI and Energy Capital"... All-Out Effort to Secure High-Speed Rail Connection

Haenam County Governor Myung Hyunkwan said in an interview with this newspaper on the 10th that he intends to seek a third term, declaring, "I will complete the attraction of 5 trillion won in investment in the AI and energy sectors and elevate Haenam into the rural capital of Korea."

Governor Myung explained his decision to run by saying, "Over the eight years of the 7th and 8th popularly elected terms, I have filled the administrative vacuum and steered Haenam in a stable manner," adding, "Haenam is now facing a major leap forward, but there is still much work to be done, and this is a time when an experienced and proven leader is needed."

Myeong Hyunkwan, Governor of Haenam County, expressed his intention to run for a third term in an interview with this newspaper on the 10th. Lee Junkyung, Reporter

◆ Budget doubles in 8 years... in the 1 trillion won club for 7 consecutive years

Haenam County has shown remarkable growth since the launch of the 7th popularly elected administration. The size of its budget has doubled, and the number of competitive public projects it has secured has more than tripled. In 2019, it became the first county-level local government to surpass a budget of 1 trillion won, and it has been operating a budget of over 1 trillion won for seven consecutive years.

The budget execution rate has also risen, earning the highest rating for seven consecutive years in evaluations by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. In the manifesto pledge implementation evaluation, it is the only municipality in South Jeolla Province to receive the highest grade for seven consecutive years. Last year, it achieved the top Grade 1 for the first time in Haenam County in the comprehensive integrity evaluation of public institutions.

Governor Myung assessed, "We have improved the fundamentals of county administration by focusing on performance, and management-oriented administration has taken root."

◆ 5 trillion won investment confirmed from Samsung SDS, KEPCO KDN and others... Solasido

Investment attraction in the AI and energy sectors stands out. Following last year’s attraction of the Samsung SDS National AI Computing Center, the construction of an LS Cable offshore wind power dedicated port has been confirmed. This year, Haenam signed an agreement with KEPCO KDN for the construction of an energy-specialized AI data center.

The attraction of the OpenAI–SK Group AI data center, the RE100 National Industrial Complex, and a semiconductor cluster is also highly likely. The direct investment amount of confirmed projects alone reaches 5 trillion won, and the expected number of jobs is in the tens of thousands.

Governor Myung said, "The National AI Computing Center, the Hwawon Industrial Complex as a Northeast Asian offshore wind power hub, and the KEPCO KDN energy-specialized data center will become key strategic bases that drive the realization of an 'AI Top 3 Power' and an 'energy grand transition'."

Myeong Hyeonggwan, county governor, expressed a strong determination to achieve the development of a new city with a resident population of 100,000 through the Haenam Solasideo enterprise city. Reporter Lee Jungkyung

The effects of investment attraction are already visible. Last year, for the first time in decades, the number of people moving into Haenam exceeded the number of people moving out, turning the population trend upward. Governor Myung explained, "We are aiming to build a new city with a resident population of 100,000," adding, "We are expanding a direct transportation network connecting Solasido and Haenam-eup and improving living conditions such as education, housing, and medical services."

The county is also designing a roadmap for an energy profit-sharing scheme to return profits to residents. Governor Myung emphasized, "We will evenly distribute the fruits of growth created by becoming the AI and energy capital across all of Haenam County and to every resident."

◆ Era of 2 trillion won in farm household income, 50 billion won scholarship fund... pushing to attract an international school

Haenam County allocates more than 30% of its annual budget to the agriculture and fisheries sector. The farmers’ allowance, which it introduced in 2019 as the first in the country, has spread nationwide and became the backbone of the rural basic income scheme currently under discussion by the central government.

It has achieved results such as winning the grand prize for four consecutive years in South Jeolla Province’s comprehensive evaluation of agricultural administration work, and ranking first in the province in terms of high-income farmers. The total income of county residents in the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector is estimated to reach 2 trillion won.

Governor Myung said, "We are creating the largest agricultural research complex in Korea, including the National Agro-Food Climate Change Response Center, which will break ground this year," and added, "By integrating advanced AI and energy industries with agriculture and fisheries, we will leap forward as the rural capital of Korea."

Education is at the core of population policy. Governor Myung said, "When the economy is vibrant and industries are attracted, jobs are created and population growth naturally follows," adding, "If a child born in Haenam can receive an education comparable to that in a major city and get a good job, the problem of regional extinction can be resolved."

Taking the designation as a special education development zone as an opportunity, Haenam County is building an education base linked to advanced industries. It is pushing to attract an international school within Solasido, to have Haenam Technical High School designated as a Meister High School, and to operate university-linked departments. It is also working to create a 50 billion won scholarship fund, having accumulated 23.4 billion won as of last year.

◆ Connecting Haenam to high-speed rail is a matter of survival... "You must row when the tide comes in"

Governor Myung cited as core future projects: the creation of the RE100 National Industrial Complex, the groundbreaking of the National Agro-Food Climate Change Response Center, and the expansion of the transportation network. He stressed, "The global AI industry is advancing rapidly, leaving no room for even a brief pause," and added, "We will devote all our efforts to attracting AI and energy investments and will make sure to bring these key projects to Haenam."

The expansion of the transportation network is also gaining speed. Following the opening of Gyegok Station last year, the first phase of the Gwangju–Wando Expressway will open this year. The feasibility study for the second-phase Seongjeon–Bukpyeong section has also been completed. Governor Myung said, "We are working hard to secure a high-speed rail line connecting to Haenam," adding, "If we succeed in attracting high-speed rail, we will be able to draw up a completely different blueprint for regional development."

To revitalize the local economy, the county will issue 100 billion won worth of Haenam Love Gift Certificates this year. Welfare points for public officials and various policy allowances will be paid in the form of these gift certificates to boost sales in local commercial districts. The county is also promoting 17 projects, including special guarantees for small business owners and support for card fees, delivery fees, and electricity bills. The public benefit allowance for farmers and fishers will be increased to 700,000 won.

▲"I entered office empty-handed and will leave empty-handed"... donating all salary for 8 years

Governor Myung has been donating his entire salary from the 7th and 8th popularly elected terms to the scholarship fund. He said, "At the start of the 7th term, successive administrative vacuums occurred, making it necessary to restore trust in a clean county administration," adding, "So I made a promise that 'I would enter office empty-handed and leave empty-handed'."

Because returning his salary was legally impossible, he chose to donate it to the scholarship fund. Governor Myung explained, "We did not hold any separate donation ceremonies or publicize it externally, but it became known in the course of the settlement report."

Last year, Haenam County received the highest Grade 1 in the comprehensive integrity evaluation of public institutions by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. It was the first time since the evaluation was introduced in 2002. Governor Myung said, "Since the 7th term, integrity has become part of everyday life through our principles of fair, just, and open county administration and through Haenam-style ESG," adding, "Our policy of putting ESG administration at the forefront, which is rare in rural areas, has generated a strong response nationwide."

Governor Myung emphasized, "The strategic projects we prepared with a 20- to 30-year horizon have become reality within just a few years," and added, "The year 2026 will be a historic year when a 1% possibility becomes 99% reality."

He went on to say, "Haenam is no longer the end of Korea," adding, "We will turn it into the rural capital of Korea, where AI and energy are combined with agriculture and fisheries."

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