Boseong-gun to Develop Marine Leisure and Ecological Tourism Hub

Kim Cheol-woo, Boseong County Governor: "Boseong's Vision Lies in the Sea"

[Boseong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Cheon-seok] Jeollanam-do Boseong-gun is preparing to leap forward as a central marine leisure and ecological tourism hub on the southern coast.

Since the 7th local government administration, Boseong-gun has been focusing investments in the marine sector to realize the Boseong-type Blue Economy.

In particular, it is expanding its scale by strengthening not only marine leisure but also marine ecology.

Boseong-gun is reinforcing the marine tourism belt within the region, starting from Hoecheon-myeon and extending to Deukryang-myeon and Beolgyo-eup, and is also devising plans to revitalize wide-area ecological tourism linked with Goheung-gun, Suncheon-si, and Yeosu-si.

▲ A Mecca of Marine Leisure Enjoyed All Year Round

Boseong-gun has accelerated the enhancement of its tourism resources in preparation for the KTX-Eum era, which will allow travel to Boseong in 2 hours 30 minutes from Seoul and 2 hours from Busan.

Especially, the ‘Yulpo Marine Leisure Hub Project,’ which is being promoted to establish Boseong as the largest marine tourism base on the southern coast, is a project attracting nationwide attention with a budget close to 50 billion KRW.

The ‘Yulpo Marine Leisure Hub Project’ will feature comprehensive leisure facilities including a 45m deep skin diving pool, survival experience center, indoor surfing facility, underwater studio, and infinity pool. Construction is scheduled to begin by the end of this year and be completed in 2024.

In addition, the Yulpo Seawater Green Tea Center, directly operated by Boseong-gun, offers spa facilities using Boseong green tea and seawater, along with various marine leisure infrastructure such as Yulpo Auto Camping Site, Bibong Marina, and Deukryang Bay Sea Fishing Park.

▲ Promoting the Global Value of Mudflats in Boseong

In addition to marine leisure, the marine ecology sector is also being strengthened. Notably, in July 2021, the Boseong-Beolgyo Mudflat was registered as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site under the name ‘Korean Mudflats.’

The Beolgyo Mudflat has been recognized and continuously managed as a treasure trove of marine ecology and a symbol of biodiversity, having been designated as a Wetland Protection Area in 2003, Korea’s first Ramsar Wetland in 2006, and a Mudflat Provincial Park in 2016.

For sustainable development, Boseong-gun is collaborating with Jeollanam-do to accelerate the creation of the Yeojaman National Mudflat Marine Garden, a project with a budget of 218.5 billion KRW.

The ecological exploration road project connecting Beolgyo and Jangdo Island, Boseong-gun’s only island responsible for 80% of Boseong cockle production, is also underway with a budget of 47.2 billion KRW and aims for completion in 2025. Additionally, the Yeojaman Beolgyo Mudflat Marine Theme Park project, with a budget of 9 billion KRW, is targeted for completion next year.

▲ Boseong-type Sustainable Marine Fisheries Harmonizing Humans and Nature

Boseong-gun holds the first geographical indication for seafood, Boseong-Beolgyo Cockle, and boasts a long history and reputation in the marine fisheries sector, continuing the Boseong mudflat boat fishery, which is Korea’s second nationally important fishery heritage.

A consultant from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), who visited the site for UNESCO World Natural Heritage registration, praised the mudflat boat fishery as “a space where humans and nature live in harmony among the Korean mudflat heritage candidates.”

Boseong-gun is making multifaceted efforts for sustainable development in the marine fisheries sector.

First, based on the administrative philosophy of Mayor Kim Cheol-woo, “The sea must also be nurtured,” efforts have been made since the 7th local government term to reinforce fishery resources through sea ranching projects. From 2023, a resource recovery project for the true cockle will also be promoted.

Efforts for purification are also being strengthened.

Since 2021, a 5 billion KRW project to regenerate the Deukryang Bay clean fishing grounds has been underway, and this year, Yeojaman was selected for a public contest to start a clean fishing ground regeneration project.

Infrastructure for fishermen is also being enhanced. Since the 7th local government term, six ports in Boseong-gun have been selected for the Fishing Village New Deal 300 project competitions.

The total project cost approaches 50 billion KRW.

This improves the working environment for fishermen to ensure safety and establishes infrastructure to introduce the 6th industry to fishing villages.

Mayor Kim Cheol-woo of Boseong-gun said, “I believe the future of Boseong-gun lies in the sea.” He added, “Boseong-gun will be reborn as a marine tourism center in the southern coastal region with marine leisure and marine ecology as its main pillars, and we will pursue sustainable development with a sense of responsibility to pass on clean nature to future generations.”

Boseong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Cheon-seok hss79@asiae.co.kr