Results of the Review for 6 Local Governments Seeking Attraction
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The location for the establishment of the 'Korea Island Promotion Agency,' which aims to launch this year, has been finally decided as Mokpo City, Jeollanam-do.
On the 14th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that the final selection result for the location of the Korea Island Promotion Agency, which is being established to conduct comprehensive and systematic surveys and research on islands, was decided as Mokpo City, Jeollanam-do.
The evaluation was conducted fairly and thoroughly by the Site Selection Committee, comprehensively considering balanced development, site conditions, and project connectivity. Six local governments that hoped to attract the Korea Island Promotion Agency participated until the final stage, and the decision was made through document review, on-site inspection, and final presentation evaluation. It appears that the efforts and policies of Mokpo City, Jeollanam-do, which first proposed the establishment of the Korea Island Promotion Agency recognizing the importance and value of islands and hosted the first Island Day, were positively reflected in the evaluation.
In particular, due to the development of a wide-area transportation network such as the Honam High-Speed Railway, Seohaean Expressway, and Muan Airport, there is high accessibility and many island-related organizations, research institutes, and marine-related specialized educational institutions, making organic linkage with the Island Promotion Agency easier.
Following this decision, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety plans to accelerate efforts to launch the Korea Island Promotion Agency within this year. Additionally, to develop the nationwide network of the infinite potential and value of islands and the demands of local governments for island development confirmed during this regional selection process, a dedicated regional department will be established within the Korea Island Promotion Agency to prevent the occurrence of neglected areas.
Park Seong-ho, Director of the Local Autonomy and Decentralization Office, said, “We deeply thank the local governments who have made their best efforts to attract the Korea Island Promotion Agency and the evaluation committee members who cooperated to ensure a fair evaluation, and congratulate Mokpo City on its selection.” He added, “We will proceed with the remaining administrative procedures without delay so that the Korea Island Promotion Agency can be successfully launched and quickly play a central role in leading the balanced development and promotion of islands nationwide.”
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