Gochang-gun Selected for 'Sangpo Area Fishing Village New Deal 300 Project' Contest for 4 Consecutive Years

[Gochang=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Jaegil] Jeonbuk Gochang-gun (Governor Yu Gisang) announced on the 7th that the ‘Sangpo Area’ in Buan and Heungdeok-myeon was selected as the target site for the ‘2022 Fishing Village New Deal 300 Project’ announced by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries on the 6th.

The county achieved the great feat of being selected for the Fishing Village New Deal 300 Project for four consecutive years.

Starting with Dongho Port in 2019, followed by Jukdo Port and Gwangseung Port last year, this year Gori Port area, and next year Sangpo Area (Sangpo, Banwol, Hupo), achieving a grand slam of five regions and five crowns.

The ‘Sangpo Area Fishing Village New Deal 300 Project’ will invest about 8.2 billion KRW in national funds over three years (2022-2024).

To respond to climate change and realize carbon neutrality by 2050, plans include creating a carbon-neutral botanical garden, carbon-zero foot bath experience center, carbon removal mudflat small park, carbon-neutral camping site, and bicycle rest area along the Gochang mudflat (UNESCO World Natural Heritage) and Ramsar wetlands, which are carbon sinks and sources of blue carbon.

The core of this project is the ‘carbon-zero foot bath experience center.’

The currently suspended Hupo Seawater Bath will be specialized and developed into a marine experience tourism hub, introducing differentiated content unique to the Sangpo Area, including various experience programs.

Through this, it will be developed into a tourism product where urban residents can rest and heal simultaneously, revitalizing the depressed area and linking it to increased resident income and job creation.

Additionally, whether Gushipo National Fishing Port will be selected for the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ local community-based carbon-neutral Ocean New Deal contest project is a major point of interest.

Earlier, the county applied for Gushipo National Fishing Port in the nationwide contest for two local community-based carbon-neutral Ocean New Deal projects by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries last month.

The county plans to thoroughly prepare for the on-site evaluation and comprehensive evaluation scheduled for mid-this month to achieve a grand slam in the marine and fisheries New Deal projects.

Governor Yu Gisang said, “We will activate fishing village tourism through systematic infrastructure construction in the Sangpo Area fishing village selected in this contest project, lead innovative growth in fishing villages, and make it a successful model region for the Fishing Village New Deal project.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries received applications from 187 sites nationwide in September, conducted a two-month written and on-site evaluation, and selected 50 final sites including the Sangpo Area.

The ‘Fishing Village New Deal 300 Project’ is a national project investing 30 trillion KRW from 2019 to 2024 in 300 fishing villages nationwide to modernize aging fishing village and port facilities, revitalize marine tourism, and maximize synergy effects such as local job creation and increased resident income.

Gochang=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Jaegil gjg7070@asiae.co.kr