[Imsil=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Nosik] Okjeongho, the shining treasure of Jeonbuk Province, is accelerating the development of eco-friendly ecological tourism, bringing forward the realization of ‘Tourism City Imsil.’
The county announced on the 26th that it held a policy meeting to jointly explore mid- to long-term plans for tourism development projects utilizing the ecological value of Okjeongho with the Jeonbuk Research Institute and to discuss them intensively.
The policy meeting held at the Okjeongho site on the day was attended by about 20 people, including Deputy County Governor Kim Young-min, working-level officials, and Research Institute Director Kwon Hyuk-nam.
The meeting proceeded with a presentation by the research institute on the ‘Imsil Future Development 2026 Revised Plan,’ followed by explanations from the county’s working departments on the development plans for Okjeongho and the current issues regarding the construction of the Okjeongho waterfront road.
Participants toured the Okjeongho area, where ecological tourism development is actively underway, and engaged in in-depth discussions on feasible measures to develop Okjeongho in an eco-friendly manner.
Director Kwon Hyuk-nam stated, “Okjeongho is at a point where it needs to leap forward as a key waterfront tourism hub in Jeonbuk Province, and the direction setting and promotion tasks have been well established. We will continue to cooperate further for the sustainable development of the county.”
Since October last year, the county has been conducting the ‘2022~2026 Imsil Future Development 2026 Revised Plan Research Service’ with the research institute to discover differentiated and competitive new projects unique to Imsil County.
According to the results of the research service completed in July, a total of 32 new projects were discovered, including 22 core projects such as the Okjeongho Wellness Healing Complex Space Creation Project (300 billion KRW) and 10 general projects such as the Okjeongho Smart Complex Rest Area Construction (4 billion KRW).
In particular, the Okjeongho Wellness Healing Complex Space Creation Project is included in the Jeonbuk Province proposal projects for the 20th presidential election pledge next year and is expected to be delivered to each political party and presidential candidate’s campaign as early as next month.
While continuing efforts to specify various newly discovered projects, the county is also continuously managing to ensure they are reflected in government or Jeonbuk Province policy projects.
The county plans to actively utilize these projects as new growth engines for county administration development by securing national and provincial funding.
Currently, in the Okjeongho area, remarkable results are being achieved through the Jeonbuk Province Eastern Region Special Account Projects, including the first phase of the Seomjingang Eco-Museum Creation Project (total 36.5 billion KRW) and the second phase of the Seomjingang Eco-Museum Creation Project (total 25 billion KRW).
Construction is actively underway for the suspension bridge connecting the mysterious island of Okjeongho, Bungeo Island, which will serve as the starting point for the full-scale opening of the Seomjingang Renaissance, with the goal of opening in June next year.
The county expects that once the suspension bridge is installed and a zipline is created, it will generate tourism effects beyond expectations by attracting the ten million tourists of Jeonju Hanok Village to Okjeongho.
In fact, the ecological tourism development projects around Okjeongho, along with the Bungeo Island internal waterfront park, are gradually reaching the stage of phased completion.
County Governor Shim Min said, “We will proceed without any setbacks so that Okjeongho can establish itself as a major axis leading Jeonbuk Province in the era of ecological civilization. When the Okjeongho tourism era opens, it will receive nationwide attention as a comprehensive tourism city connecting Bungeo Island, cheese, and companion animals.”
Imsil=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Nosik sd2481@asiae.co.kr
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