[Jeongeup=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Jae-gil] Jeongeup City, Jeonbuk Province, announced on the 2nd that it held the 2023 New Year's Opening Ceremony for the Year of the Water Rabbit (癸卯年) in the city hall's large conference room.
Before the ceremony, Mayor Lee Hak-su and senior officials paid respects at the Memorial Tower for the Loyal Spirits.
The ceremony, attended by about 200 people including heads of departments, township and neighborhood chiefs, and staff, proceeded with Mayor Lee's New Year's address, a relay video of employees' hopeful messages, and a commemorative photo session.
In his New Year's address, Mayor Lee expressed gratitude to the citizens who gave their unwavering love and support over the past year and also thanked the public officials who faithfully fulfilled their duties in their respective positions.
This year marks the full-scale start of the 8th term of Jeongeup city administration, and with the New Year's theme of "A New Beginning, Hopeful Jeongeup," he explained the direction of city governance for the year.
First, Mayor Lee emphasized creating "a prosperous Jeongeup through the recovery of the people's economy."
To this end, plans include issuing Jeongeup Love Gift Certificates worth 60 billion KRW, establishing a public delivery app, supporting local product live commerce, and providing basic income to small business owners.
Additionally, to build Jeongeup as a high-tech city of agriculture and life, specialized projects utilizing mountain resources will be promoted, and seasonal foreign workers will be introduced along with agricultural machinery support to resolve labor shortages during farming seasons.
Young and talented young farmers will also be nurtured, and a pet playground will be created to lead a proper pet culture.
Mayor Lee further stated the goal of making Jeongeup an educational, cultural, and tourism city that dreams and grows together with its citizens.
By next year, a total of 4.5 billion KRW will be invested to prioritize the High Vocational Education Hub District Project, and 6 billion KRW will be spent to establish a lifelong learning center to provide abundant learning opportunities for all citizens.
By linking Naejangsan Mountain, Yongsan Lake, and the Cultural Plaza into a tourism belt, solid tourism content reflecting regional characteristics will be built, and the project to create a tourism hotspot connecting Jeongeup Station and Jeongeup Stream will be thoroughly prepared to contribute to generating new tourism demand and revitalizing the downtown area.
To create a safe and clean city, and a Jeongeup that grows together and shares happiness, efforts will be made to improve the transportation environment, install public parking lots, recycle livestock manure, and maintain natural disaster risk improvement zones. Free vaccinations for shingles, influenza, and others will be expanded for the elderly.
Moreover, monthly childcare allowances of 100,000 KRW will be provided to citizens raising infants under 59 months, and a public postpartum care center and a dedicated pediatric ward in the southwestern region will be established to create a healthy and safe childcare foundation.
To realize open governance through citizen participation, a Citizen Communication Office will be established, and citizen forums and policy proposal festivals involving citizen participation will be promoted to implement governance operated together with the citizens.
Mayor Lee Hak-su said, "We will create a trusted Jeongeup with more communication and better policies while adhering to basics and principles in all areas of city administration," and added, "Please join us on this historic path of creating a new beginning and hopeful Jeongeup."
Jeongeup=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Jae-gil baekok@asiae.co.kr
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
