Four Mayors and County Chiefs of Seomjingang Region Join Hands to Create Integrated Tourism Belt

Gwangyang City Holds Policy Meeting with Heads of Gokseong, Gurye, and Hadong Counties

Sharing Plans for Seomjingang Integrated Tourism Belt and Discussing Promotion Strategies

Agreed to Jointly Respond for Budget Securing

[Gurye=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yuk Miseok] Four local governments in the lower Seomjin River area, including Gurye in Jeollanam-do, held a policy meeting to share their intentions to create an integrated tourism belt in the Seomjin River region.

The meeting, held on the 9th at the Baekdudaegan Ecological Education Center located in Gurye-gun, was attended by a total of 13 people, including the heads of four local governments?Gwangyang City, Gokseong, Gurye, and Hadong-gun in Gyeongnam?and officials in charge of related departments.

The four local governments, which suffered record-breaking flood damage in August 2020, agreed to overcome the regional crisis and establish a foundation for a new leap forward by uniting the Seomjin River area into a single tourism zone and achieving joint development in tourism. They signed a business agreement on February 4, 2021.

According to the agreement, a working-level task force was immediately formed, and by last October, the plan for creating the integrated tourism belt in the Seomjin River area was completed. Some of the projects identified have been reflected in the basic plan for southern region tourism development established by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, making the projects more tangible.

In particular, separate from the southern region tourism development projects, the 550 billion KRW-scale ‘Jirisan-Seomjin River Yeonghonam East-West Inland Tourism Belt Project,’ which includes the Seomjin River integrated tourism belt project, was selected as a key regional pledge by President Yoon Suk-yeol. Accordingly, there are plans to actively request the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to incorporate the project.

Immediately after the meeting, the four local government heads?Mayor Jeong In-hwa of Gwangyang City, County Governor Lee Sang-cheol of Gokseong-gun, County Governor Kim Soon-ho of Gurye-gun, and County Governor Ha Seung-cheol of Hadong-gun?drafted and announced a resolution to reaffirm their commitment to the project.

The resolution included making the development of the Seomjin River area as a single tourism zone the top priority, committing to continuous investment and administrative support, and jointly participating in government-related activities such as securing funding.

Gurye=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yuk Miseok hss79@asiae.co.kr