Suncheon-si Wins 'Grand Prize' at Local Content Festa

2023 Suncheonman International Garden Expo Presenting an Ecological City Model -

Special Lecture by Mayor Noh Kwan-gyu of Suncheon Recognized for Establishing a New Milestone in Korea

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seonsik] Suncheon City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Noh Gwan-gyu) announced on the 28th that it won the prestigious ‘Grand Prize’ at the ‘2022 Local Content Festa’ awards ceremony held over four days from the 25th at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center.

The Festa is the nation’s first local content expo aimed at promoting regional development, serving as a platform to share excellent content from local governments nationwide in culture, tourism, and spaces. It also featured enriching lectures by experts from various fields, including Suncheon Mayor Noh Gwan-gyu and Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon.

This grand prize was awarded in recognition of Mayor Noh, who was the only basic local government head specially invited to give a lecture titled ‘The Man Who Uprooted the Utility Poles of Suncheon Bay! Creating a New Milestone for Korea,’ highlighting the planning process and achievements of the region’s development model.

Mayor Noh, who received the grand prize, created the brand ‘Korea’s Ecological Capital Suncheon’ 14 years ago. This laid the foundation for the country’s first garden expo (2013), the designation of the first national garden (2015), and the development of the three major cities in Honam, among other achievements.

Furthermore, ahead of the garden expo scheduled for April next year after a 10-year interval, Suncheon is once again challenging to be the first in Korea by restoring the world’s first Ramsar Suncheon Bay Eo-shing-gil and the city’s waterways, following the designation of Korea’s first national garden.

Especially at the Festa on the 25th, Mayor Noh revealed the story behind uprooting 283 utility poles for the world’s first black-crowned cranes, emphasizing that in the face of Korea’s contemporary crises such as transportation, housing, and population issues, “Suncheon Bay and the Garden Expo represent the future city we will live in and will become Korea’s new standard model.”

A citizen who attended the special lecture, Mr. Lee, said, “The emotion I felt when the utility poles at Suncheon Bay were uprooted still remains.” He added, “I feel proud that what was done in Suncheon 14 years ago can become Korea’s future, and I want to contribute to the successful hosting of the 2023 Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo.”

Also, Kim, a student from the Department of Journalism and Broadcasting at Honam University, said, “It was impressive that while other cities chose industries, Suncheon worked to create a city based on ecology.” He expressed his anticipation, saying, “I will definitely visit when the 2023 Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo is held.”

Suncheon Mayor Noh Gwan-gyu said at the awards ceremony, “It is very meaningful that Suncheon won the grand prize at an event aimed at fostering local content to create a globally prosperous Korea.” He added, “Now, in the era of regional extinction, cities must be reorganized into competitive local government alliances, connecting networks with neighboring cities and revitalizing exchanges.”

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seonsik hss79@asiae.co.kr