Announcement of Over 40 Pledges in Areas Including Community Happiness, Agricultural Economy, Resident Welfare, and Cultural Tourism
[Gokseong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Cha Jong-sun] The 8th elected administration of Gokseong County, Jeollanam-do (Governor Lee Sang-cheol) has launched vigorously under the county government goal of ‘A Happier Gokseong for the Residents.’
The six county government policies supporting the 8th elected administration’s goal are ▲ Attractive Happy City, ▲ Educational City Where Everyone Grows, ▲ Seamless Customized Welfare, ▲ Emotional Healing Ecotourism, ▲ Income-Generating Future Agriculture, and ▲ Impressive Innovative Creative Administration.
The county government goal selected through a public contest reflects the governor’s strong will to prioritize the happiness of the residents.
Based on his hometown love practiced since his youth, it embodies the intention to lead changes so that Gokseong and its residents can enjoy greater and more abundant happiness than now with a step faster pace.
As the driving force for this, about 40 draft pledges were announced in the fields of resident happiness, agricultural economy, resident welfare, and culture and tourism.
These were refined and supplemented through detailed review, deliberation processes, and expert opinion collection for each pledge at the ‘Resident Happiness Committee’ operated from June 9 to 30.
First, in the field of resident happiness, to overcome the crisis of local extinction, the plan is to proactively respond by establishing future strategies for sustainable Gokseong together with the local community.
To this end, a horizontal governance public-private-academic cooperation group will be formed, involving the county, Jeonnam Science University, Future Education Foundation, youth, and enterprises.
The cooperation group will propose strategies and solutions to prepare for Gokseong 100 years from now and work together to develop projects such as the local extinction response fund to achieve a healthy population structure and mutual growth.
Also, a new resident happiness allowance will be introduced. This is to guarantee the minimum rights for residents to be happy.
The happiness allowance will start from basic rural income and gradually expand, paid in local gift certificates to simultaneously drive population inflow and regional revitalization.
Bold support for youth also draws attention. First, a shared office for youth startups will be supported so that young people can settle in Gokseong and freely challenge themselves by finding jobs locally.
Additionally, ‘Cheongbaek Smart Village,’ where 100 youths live together, and ‘Youth Utopia Village,’ a residential space for 1,000 youths, will be created step by step. This aims to expand the living population and overcome the local extinction crisis.
The Gokseong-type creative education learning ecosystem aims to be a lifelong learning education city where children and adults learn and grow together. To this end, it plans to enhance the completeness centered on the ‘Gokseong Future Education Foundation’ established in the 7th elected administration.
Key projects include building an ecological library, creating regional playgrounds designed by children, continuous implementation of the Gokseong education mid- to long-term development plan, and revitalizing the Dream Growth Maru.
By leveraging the characteristics of the three divided regions, strategic projects will be strengthened and balanced growth promoted.
The Gokseong-eup area will be a complex center for education, culture tourism, sports, and economy; the Ok-gwa area will be a base for future strategic industries such as smart farms and startup farming; and the Seokgok area will develop an ecological healing tourism belt and a black pig specialty project.
Second, in the welfare sector, the plan is to realize seamless customized welfare across generations to ensure residents’ safety and comfortable lives in every corner.
To this end, construction of senior health care centers in Gokseong, Ok-gwa, and Seokgok areas, expansion of childbirth and childcare support, expansion of voucher card support for women farmers, and establishment of emergency safety support systems for elderly living alone and disabled persons will be promoted.
Third, in agriculture and economy, more than 20 pledges were announced to lead future agriculture and drive regional revitalization.
First, it declared that the agricultural budget will be increased up to 100 billion KRW during the term.
Also, it plans to open a new era of agricultural management by expanding support projects for young farmers.
To solve the rural labor shortage problem, a public-private cooperation system will be established to efficiently respond from job matching to employment support.
Furthermore, by branding premium agricultural products, it aims to increase farm income, and to spread scientific farming, it will operate rental-type smart farms and promote pilot complexes annually.
In addition, it will lead efforts to strengthen livestock competitiveness and realize environmentally friendly carbon-zero livestock by fostering premium Korean beef brands, improving livestock housing environments, and preparing efficient livestock manure treatment plans.
Traditional markets will be developed into culture-tourism types, and by utilizing forest resources that account for 72%, it will expand healing and leisure sports infrastructure and promote healing agriculture and various income-linked policies.
Fourth, in the culture and tourism sector, the plan is to add cultural sensibility to each tourist site and strengthen content that encourages longer stays to expand the tourism-type living population.
First, along the Seomjin River, a waterfront relaxation park cultivated together with residents will be created, and development projects such as undergrounding power lines will be promoted.
The Train Village will be expanded into the best and nationwide-scale theme park in Jeonnam by supplementing various contents centered on children customers.
Additionally, the Gajeong Station area will be developed into a nighttime tourism hub shining with media art and lighting, and the Daehwang River will be developed into an ecological healing tourism belt.
Through this, by increasing tourists’ stay time, the effect of revitalizing the local economy will be enhanced.
Long-standing wishes of residents such as the creation of a sports town, development of Gokseong-eup cultural street, and construction of a food culture center are also included in the pledges.
Gokseong County will enhance the feasibility of the draft pledges through practical review processes including validity, funding plans, and linkage with other policies, and finalize them as detailed and solid final pledges.
The final pledges will be shared with residents through the website and other means, and will be implemented step by step considering funding and timing.
Governor Lee Sang-cheol, born and raised in Gokseong, organized the Gokseong-eup Youth Association in 1988 and served as its first president.
Since then, he has served in various roles for regional development, including president of the Junior Chamber International (JCI), secretary general of the Jeonnam District Junior Chamber, secretary general of the Saejeongchi National Assembly Gokseong-Gurye District Party in 1998, secretary general of the Saecheonmin Democratic Party Gokseong office, president of the Gokseong County Sports Council, and chairman of the Barugesalgi Movement Council.
In particular, he served as a member of the 5th to 6th Gokseong County Council and as the 6th council’s first half chairman, and as a member of the 10th Jeonnam Provincial Council (Agriculture and Fisheries Committee, Safety Construction Fire Committee), representing residents’ voices and focusing on solving local issues.
He was recognized for this and received the 4th Local Autonomy Legislative Award.
Gokseong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Cha Jong-sun hss79@asiae.co.kr
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