Gochang County Governor Shim Deokseop Concludes Eup and Myeon Visits for the “Hwalryeok Gochang Sharing Dialogue”

Shim Deokseop, Gochang County Governor, successfully concluded the 2026 “Hwalryeok Gochang Nanum Dialogue (Sharing Dialogue for a Vibrant Gochang)” amid enthusiastic responses from county residents.

According to Gochang County on February 11, starting with Gochang-eup on January 13 and finishing with Mujang-myeon on this day, he visited 14 eups and myeons to hold the “2025 Residents’ Happiness, Vibrant Gochang Sharing Dialogue.”

Shim Deokseop, Gochang County Governor, held the 2026 'Hwalryeok Gochang Nanum Daehwa'. Provided by Gochang County.

The Sharing Dialogue began with visits to senior centers, followed by a briefing on this year’s county administration direction, explanations of key projects in each eup and myeon, and then the collection of suggestions and responses. In particular, he drew attention by personally explaining the four main policy directions for this year’s county administration: revitalizing the everyday economy, fostering future high-tech industries, special utilization of world heritage sites, and ensuring a safe and happy life.

This year, Gochang County is prioritizing the stabilization of residents’ livelihoods through initiatives such as discounted sales of the “Gochang Love Gift Certificate,” support for “Good Price Businesses,” loan support for small business owners, and expansion of senior employment programs. In addition, reflecting its nature as a mixed urban-rural area, the county is implementing customized support programs tailored to various groups, including farmers, fishers, multicultural families, and young people.

In Gochang-eup, for example, one resident suggested building a bridge, saying, “A sports town has been built in front of the village, but there is no bridge across the stream, so we have to take a long detour.” In Sinlim-myeon, another resident appealed for a safety inspection, saying, “The village hall is old, and cracks have appeared in many parts of the walls, which makes us feel unsafe.” Various other opinions were also presented for regional development, including the development of cultural and tourism resources and policies to attract population inflows.

In total, more than 180 suggestions were submitted. The main topics included the opening of new roads; widening and paving of farm roads and village access roads; installation of streetlights; enforcement against illegal parking and stopping; creation of parking lots; construction of new eup and myeon offices; expansion of tourism infrastructure; maintenance of small park facilities; and installation of village sewage treatment facilities.

Shim Deokseop, Gochang County Governor, is credited with enhancing trust in county administration and encouraging resident participation through realistic and specific answers.

For suggestions that required on-site verification, he instructed the heads of the relevant bureaus and departments, including directors and section chiefs, to visit the sites together with the residents who made the suggestions and to seek solutions directly on the ground.

Shim Deokseop, Gochang County Governor, said, “Through this Sharing Dialogue, I have felt the deep interest and passion for county administration,” adding, “We will continue to practice proactive, on-the-ground administration, listen closely to residents’ opinions, and do our utmost to open up a hopeful future through change and growth.”

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