Kim Youngrok: "Fostering Yeongam as an 'AI Shipbuilding and Energy Future City'"

Kim Youngrok, Governor of Jeollanam-do, is giving a greeting speech at the "Yeongam County Policy Vision Tour" event held in the main conference room of Yeongam County Citizens' Hall on the 8th. Provided by Jeollanam-do

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Kim Youngrok, Governor of Jeollanam-do, announced on the 8th, "I will ensure that Yeongam grows into a leading global 'AI Shipbuilding and Energy Future City,' where the artificial intelligence (AI) shipbuilding and future energy industries develop together."

Governor Kim attended the Yeongam County Policy Vision Tour held in the main conference room of the Yeongam County Citizens' Hall that afternoon, where he presented strategies for regional development and a vision for the future. The event was attended by over 200 people, including Woo Seunghee, Mayor of Yeongam County, Shin Seungcheol and Son Namil, Jeollanam-do Provincial Assembly members, and Park Jongdae, Chairman of the Yeongam County Council.

In his welcoming remarks, Mayor Woo Seunghee said, "It is meaningful to discuss how the provincial vision connects on the ground and what preparations and leaps Yeongam is making," adding, "Yeongam will accurately identify the region's potential and strengths in line with Jeollanam-do's grand vision and further expand areas of collaboration with the provincial administration."

In his greeting, Governor Kim introduced Yeongam's core industries of shipbuilding and automotive, stating, "Through the Eco-friendly and Advanced Shipbuilding and Marine Shared Platform Project, we are transforming the production technologies of small and medium-sized shipbuilders into eco-friendly and smart processes," and "By promoting the tuning industry and supporting the regulatory free zone, we are also fostering the next-generation automotive tuning industry."

He added, "We are converting the Daebul Industrial Complex into a smart green industrial complex that manages safety, logistics, and energy all at once."

He also said, "This year, we completed the Samho Aureum Platform, a multi-purpose cultural space for all generations," and "Through the 'Yeongam Reborn as S.M.A.R.T' project, we are also establishing integrated community centers and specialized shops."

Additionally, he explained projects to improve residential conditions, saying, "We plan to create 50 Jeonnam-style affordable housing units, and are preparing youth-friendly environments such as townhouses through public project competitions."

He also introduced tourism infrastructure projects that highlight Yeongam's unique charm and vibrancy, such as the Honam Myungchon Gurim Renaissance initiative and the creation of a Korean cuisine experience center and a hanok hotel, aiming to develop a region comparable to Jeonju Hanok Village. Gurim Village, located at the foot of Wolchulsan Mountain, is known as the birthplace of Doseon Guksa and is regarded as one of the three great villages of Honam. He added that several Jeonnam-style regional growth strategic projects are progressing smoothly, including the construction of the Yeongam Trot Academy equipped with classrooms, practice rooms, studios, and dormitories for trainees; the establishment of the National Mahan History and Culture Center; and the development of the Wolchulsan Ecological Exploration Center.

Governor Kim stated, "We are also building comprehensive social overhead capital (SOC) to support local industries and improve residents' quality of life," adding, "Once the Gwangju-Yeongam Expressway, the nation's first unlimited-speed expressway connecting 47 kilometers between Yeongam and Gwangju, is completed, travel time between the two areas will be drastically reduced to 25 minutes." He further emphasized, "We will also significantly improve transportation accessibility by steadily advancing projects such as the construction of the Muan Illo-Yeongam Sijong connecting road and the upgrade of National Road No. 23 between Jangheung Yuchi and Yeongam Geumjeong."

Governor Kim remarked, "Yeongam is a land with the spirit of Hwaseungjocheon, meaning a flame rising to the morning sky," and added, "If the local community unites to nurture Yeongam's potential, Yeongam will surely rise as Korea's representative AI Shipbuilding and Energy Future City. I will actively support Yeongam to soar even higher."

Meanwhile, the Jeonnam Research Institute presented ten key visions under the slogan "Yeongam, the Energy Ecological City": ▲ Green City 100, a local energy production and consumption initiative ▲ Becoming a hub for next-generation shipbuilding technology innovation ▲ Major industrial transformation ▲ Creating high added value through the spread of eco-friendly and smart agriculture ▲ "Young" Yeongam through Wolchulsan energy healing tourism ▲ Revitalizing marine, ecological, and experiential tourism with vibrancy and appeal ▲ Rediscovering historical and cultural resources ▲ Restoring the population of Yeongam-eup to 10,000 through the creation of a compact city ▲ Building a happy city for foreign residents ▲ Becoming the central city of the southwest region through the establishment of a convenient transportation network.

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