Regions Unite Closely for Joint Response to Overcome Regional Extinction Crisis
[Gokseong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Cha Jong-sun] Gokseong County in Jeonnam announced that on the 4th, it held the launch ceremony of the Public-Private-Academic Cooperation Group at the Daetongmaru of the county office, reaffirming its commitment to regional mutual development.
The formation of the Public-Private-Academic Cooperation Group (hereinafter referred to as the Cooperation Group) is a pledge prioritized by Gokseong County Governor Lee Sang-cheol in the 8th civilian administration to realize a "happier Gokseong for its residents" and to jointly respond to the crisis of regional extinction. A total of 18 institutions and social organizations representing administration, education, industry, agriculture, youth, and childcare sectors have agreed to participate in the Cooperation Group.
The Cooperation Group will work on improving laws and systems to respond to the crisis of regional extinction. It will also focus on four subcommittees?population, education, jobs/youth/housing, and smart farms?to discover and promote regionally specialized strategic industries and joint projects.
Gokseong County will oversee the Cooperation Group. The Office of Education, Jeonnam Science University, Jeonnam Culinary Science High School, and the Future Education Foundation will identify and promote collaborative projects to solve educational issues. In the industrial sector, NH Nonghyup Bank, Okgwa Nonghyup, Kumho Tire Gokseong Plant, KTC Gokseong Branch, and the Agricultural Industrial Complex Council will cooperate to create jobs, expand employment, and foster smart farms.
Local institutions and social organizations, including the County Council, Social Organizations Council, Village Chiefs Association, agricultural and youth organizations, will support various collaborative projects, while the Gwangju-Jeonnam Research Institute will participate as an expert group providing consulting.
At the launch ceremony held in August, the Cooperation Group shared the 2022-2023 Local Extinction Response Fund projects and plans for 2024.
They also agreed to hold regular meetings at least once a year and actively cooperate in establishing sustainable strategies to respond to the regional extinction crisis and in discovering fund projects.
The practical implementation of various collaborative projects will be handled by a working-level consultative body.
In preparation for the Cooperation Group’s launch in September, the county formed a working-level consultative body led by the deputy county governor.
Like the Cooperation Group, the working-level consultative body operates through four subcommittees: population, education, jobs/youth/housing, and smart farms (agricultural policy).
They meet frequently to discover and specify collaborative tasks by subcommittee and to practically implement policies.
Meanwhile, since 2017, Gokseong County has operated the Public-Academic Regional Development Council with Jeonnam Science University, maintaining solidarity with the local university.
Over the past five years, they have promoted cooperative projects in various fields such as youth job programs, operation of the Youth Farmer Incubating Hub Center, development of superior taro varieties, lifelong vocational education, and volunteer activities.
As a result, recognizing the achievements of long-term collaboration, they were jointly selected in the first half of this year for the Ministry of Education’s 3rd phase Leading Specialized College Industry-Academic Cooperation Project and the Higher Vocational Education Hub District Project, securing a total project budget of 16.5 billion KRW.
Gokseong County expects the Cooperation Group to surpass the achievements of the Public-Academic Regional Development Council, overcome population decline and the regional extinction crisis, and lead regional growth.
Governor Lee Sang-cheol emphasized, “Various institutions and organizations are interwoven like a spider web to create a single community called Gokseong County,” adding, “Mutual prosperity of the community is not a choice but a necessity.” He continued, “I hope this launch of the Cooperation Group will be an opportunity to share issues more deeply and build a solid cooperative relationship.”
Yoon Young-gyu, Chairman of the Gokseong County Council, said, “The ultimate goal of launching the Cooperation Group is the development of Gokseong and the happiness of its residents,” and added, “I hope everyone will join forces to overcome the regional crisis.”
Lee Eun-cheol, President of Jeonnam Science University, stated, “I expect today’s establishment of cooperative governance to become a new growth engine for regional development,” expressing the university’s intention to actively cooperate for regional mutual development by mobilizing its educational infrastructure and programs.
Gokseong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Cha Jong-sun hss79@asiae.co.kr
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