Mokpo Mayor Park Hong-ryul Takes Active Steps to Resolve Local Issues

Left: Park Hong-ryul, Mayor of Mokpo; Right: Han Chang-seop, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (Photo by Mokpo City)

[Mokpo=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jeong Hyeong-seok] Park Hong-ryul, mayor of Mokpo, is continuing his active efforts to resolve local pending projects such as the reconstruction of Mokpo Station and the designation of Sapjin Port as a national fishing port.

On the 17th, Mayor Park visited Na Hee-seung, president of Korea Railroad Corporation, and on the 26th, he visited the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to meet with Lim Jong-il, Director of Railway Safety Policy, to discuss the direction of the major renovation of Mokpo Station, including the reconstruction of Mokpo Station and the relocation of railway facilities.

He explained the urgency of reflecting the budget for the reconstruction of Mokpo Station in the ’22 project under the ‘KORAIL Old Station Improvement Project’ to respond to the steadily increasing number of tourists and train demand and to rebuild the old and deteriorated station. He also requested the inclusion of detailed design costs. In response, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport agreed to reflect Mokpo City’s opinion of adding two departure tracks in the ministry’s feasibility study on the relocation of railway facilities at Mokpo Station and decided to proceed with the reconstruction feasibility study of Mokpo Station as a project for next year.

He then visited the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to request the designation of Sapjin Port, which was selected as a ‘preliminary national fishing port’ in 2014, as a national fishing port. Mayor Park emphasized the need for the development of an alternative fishing port as the nearby small fishing boat wharf exceeded its vessel capacity and confusion increased due to the relocation of the Mokpo Fisheries Cooperative to the North Port. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ Fisheries Resources Policy Officer stated that Sapjin Port currently meets the requirements for designation as a national fishing port and promised to conduct a feasibility study next year to ensure that Sapjin Port can be designated as a national fishing port.

He also visited the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to request the allocation of special grants in the second half of the year to ensure the smooth hosting of the ‘2023 National Sports Festival and the National Para Games.’

Mayor Park Hong-ryul of Mokpo said, “We will actively communicate with the government to secure financial support, resolve local issues, and accelerate the development of Mokpo.”