Kim Jaemu, Gwangyang Mayor Preliminary Candidate, "I Will Open the Era of 10 Million Tourists"

‘Seomjingang International Hug Day’ Festival Held... Stepping Up as a Global City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik] Kim Jaemu, a 62-year-old preliminary candidate for mayor of Gwangyang, Jeonnam, from the Democratic Party of Korea, presented his vision on the 11th, stating, “We will develop region-specific tourism programs to open the era of 10 million tourists.”

Through a press release on the same day, Candidate Kim said, “We will focus on fostering the understructure of the region’s tourism industry, which is relatively stagnant compared to other industries, to create a breakthrough opportunity for a remarkable leap forward.”

As the future era highlights the importance of the travel industry for improving quality of life, efforts are being accelerated toward convergence tourism projects that emphasize regional content development and resource discovery.

He stated that tourism plans will be designed and implemented by zones.

The details include ▲ developing the Seomjingang area into an ecological and cultural tourism hub by promoting a cultural tourism-type regeneration project around Mangdeok Port, creating flower paths along the Jinsang Suocheon embankment, and restoring the Hongcheongol reed forest ▲ nurturing the Baegunsan area into the nation’s top ecological education and healing forest, building an open-air museum linked with surrounding resources ▲ establishing the country’s largest subtropical botanical garden in the Gwangyang-eup area and creating specialized premium food products ▲ fostering themed tourist destinations through revitalizing the Five Senses Satisfaction Street and creating nightscape views in the Jungma area.

He also proposed holding seasonal festivals as pledges for the era of 10 million Gwangyang tourists, including the Maehwa (plum blossom) Festival centered on the Cheongmaesil Farm, riverside festivals along the Seomjingang watershed, art festivals around the provincial art museum, and fireworks festivals near the Yi Sun-sin Bridge.

In particular, he emphasized that Seomjingang, a region symbolizing the meeting of sea and river, Yeong and Honam regions, and international trade exchanges, will host a tentatively named “Seomjingang International Embrace Day” festival in cooperation with local governments along the Seomjingang watershed, aiming to develop it into an attractive international city under the theme of such “encounters.”

He also suggested establishing a cultural tourism foundation to develop tour bus programs linked with neighboring cities such as Yeosu and Suncheon, and to activate collaborative projects among related industry workers.

Additionally, he explained that creative allowances will be provided to local cultural artists facing livelihood difficulties to support their creative activities and improve their working conditions.

Candidate Kim said, “We must establish a new concept roadmap utilizing Gwangyang’s abundant natural tourism resources,” adding, “This is expected to become one of the two core pillars driving Gwangyang’s development alongside the steelworks.”

Gwangyang = Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik hss79@asiae.co.kr