Goheung-gun Selected as Finalist in Nationwide Contest for City/County/District Regional Industry Promotion Projects

Up to 1.5 Billion KRW in National Funding for 3 Years Expected to Boost Goheung Pomegranate, Yuzu, and Chamdarae

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] Goheung-gun, Jeonnam Province (Governor Song Gwi-geun) announced on the 28th that it was the only region in Jeonnam to be selected for the ‘Si/Gun/Gu Local Industry Development Project’ within the Regional Specialized Development Zone, a nationwide public contest project implemented by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups to discover, nurture, and advance local affiliated industries and contribute to revitalizing the regional economy through increased sales and job creation in local small and medium enterprises.

With this selection, the county will promote the ‘Bulnocho (Red Pomegranate, Yellow Yuzu, Green Kiwifruit) Industry Revitalization Project,’ which links and nurtures Goheung-gun’s regional specialized development zone (regional special zone) ‘Goheung Well-being Yuzu and Pomegranate Special Zone’ with local affiliated industries to create new added value based on representative fruits such as pomegranate, yuzu, and kiwifruit.

By matching 500 million KRW in national funds supported by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups with 100 million KRW in county funds, a total of 600 million KRW per year, up to 1.8 billion KRW over three years, will be invested to promote activities such as product upgrading, prototype production, and participation in domestic and international trade fairs, expected to revitalize the local economy struggling due to the impact of COVID-19.

The county and Suncheon National University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation have built on the strengths of the ‘Goheung Well-being Yuzu and Pomegranate Special Zone,’ designated in 2014, registered under the Geographical Indication System in 2016, held the nation’s first Goheung Yuzu and Pomegranate Festival in 2019, won the Special Zone Operation Performance Excellence Award last year, and received the top brand award for Goheung Yuzu and Goheung Pomegranate for three consecutive years. This year, they plan to apply to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups to add kiwifruit as a new item to the special zone, aiming to promote the development of related industries.

A county official stated, “This Bulnocho Industry Revitalization Project can maximize business performance by linking with previously implemented grassroots support projects involving industry, academia, research, and government. Since the plan’s effectiveness has been enhanced through prior demand surveys, it is expected to greatly contribute to the sustainable growth of the Goheung Well-being Yuzu and Pomegranate Special Zone as well as to local sales and job creation.”