[New Year's Address] Mayor Lee Gang-deok: "Creative Convergence and Innovation... Making Pohang Leap into the World"

New Year's Administrative Keywords 'Creativity, Convergence, Innovation' ... Creating New Values to Open the Future

Convergence of Industry, Technology, Environment, and Culture ... Discovering New Values, Strengthening Competitiveness

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Mayor Lee Gang-deok of Pohang is explaining the 'Major Achievements of 2022 and the Direction of City Administration for 2023' during a New Year's press conference on the 2nd.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Mayor Lee Kang-deok of Pohang emphasized on the 2nd, “In the new year, we will lead creative convergence and innovative technology to make Pohang leap into the world, and vigorously move forward toward a great city of Pohang that creates hope in all areas of citizens' lives.”

Mayor Lee Kang-deok made this statement during a New Year press conference held on the 2nd in the city hall's main conference room, explaining the ‘major achievements of 2022 and the direction of city administration for 2023.’

The mayor said, “Although there were many difficulties last year, such as the resurgence of COVID-19 and typhoon damage, thanks to the citizens' united efforts, we were able to achieve many accomplishments including the expansion of new industries and improvement of citizens' quality of life,” and added, “In the new year, we will continue to build a global city Pohang that leaps into the world together with our citizens.”

He then explained the top 10 key achievements Pohang City accomplished in 2022 with the cooperation of its citizens, including ▲ the battery special zone being selected as an excellent special zone nationwide for three consecutive years for the first time, ▲ the launch of POSTECH Graduate School of Medical Science, and ▲ the railway forest recognized worldwide.

Despite the ongoing severe domestic and international crises such as US-originated interest rate hikes, high inflation, high interest rates, and high exchange rates, Mayor Lee said that Pohang City is rapidly responding to the changes of the era through the steep growth of its core new industries like secondary batteries, bio, and hydrogen. He stated that the key administrative directions this year include accelerating the expansion of core new industry sectors for a sustainable city, thoroughly preparing for livelihood and welfare amid the economic crisis, expanding the base of culture, arts, and sports tailored to diverse citizen demands, and leading balanced development of the East Coast.

Based on the achievements made through the 6th and 7th elected terms, the city announced the 2023 slogan, ‘Pohang leaping into the world through creative convergence and innovation,’ which embodies the will to drive the Fourth Industrial Revolution for sustainable growth through ‘creativity, convergence, and innovation’ and to complete the foundation for a happy life for all citizens for the next 100 years.

Regarding the new year’s core administrative keywords ‘creativity, convergence, and innovation,’ the mayor explained their meanings as follows: ‘Creativity’ means expanding creativity throughout the city to prepare for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and expand future growth engines; ‘Convergence’ refers to discovering new values through the fusion of industry, technology, environment, and culture, and strengthening urban competitiveness by combining the strengths of social members; and ‘Innovation’ involves securing innovative growth momentum through bold challenges to change, establishing a foundation for an innovative city through administrative innovation and ESG expansion.

To this end, Pohang City plans to integrate the values of ‘creativity, convergence, and innovation’ across all areas of city administration including economy, environment, culture, welfare, and safety, expand new growth core industries to invigorate the local economy, and establish and implement policies that improve living conditions centered on citizens' happiness and safety.

Crucially, to firmly maintain the ‘unshakable competitiveness’ of the local economy, the city aims to attract 50 companies and 10 trillion KRW in investments during the current term through strategic investment attraction activities led by the public-private joint corporate attraction committee launched last November, focusing on global companies.

The city will actively promote the secondary battery specialized complex, designation of ESG global innovation special zones, approval of research-oriented medical schools, and establishment of a green bio venture campus, contributing to the innovative leap of local industries and balanced national development based on convergence and innovation of new technologies.

Alongside this, Pohang plans to radically improve the industrial structure and strengthen the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises, small business owners, and agriculture, forestry, and fisheries by smoothly and promptly implementing follow-up projects for the designation of industrial crisis preemptive response areas, designation of special support areas for SMEs, and building a food tech technology support center, smart farms, and agricultural export logistics centers, thereby revitalizing the local economy.

Additionally, by successfully creating a ‘citizen-centered eco-friendly green ecological city,’ Pohang will continue to expand the globally recognized ‘Greenway’ and establish a green pedestrian network throughout the urban area.

The city will innovate transportation infrastructure to alleviate citizens’ traffic difficulties and create a convenient city where people gather, including starting the design of Yeongilman Bridge, which will provide innovative support to the local economy, logistics, and tourism as an ‘economic and tourism grand bridge’ in the second half of the year, attracting the high-speed rail to Suseo, and expanding parking lots at Pohang Station.

Through the complex redevelopment of the old Pohang Station railway site and the Heunghae Special Regeneration Project, the city plans to put urban regeneration that combines culture and people for sustainable growth firmly on track.

Efforts will also accelerate to create a ‘culture-tourism friendly city’ full of joy and happiness by integrating beautiful natural marine resources, urban tourism infrastructure, and local history and culture.

The city will actively promote the construction of an international exhibition and convention center, a high value-added industry with high job creation effects; designation of Homigot Peninsula as a national marine garden, the center of East Coast marine healing; and the construction of the second building of the municipal art museum, which will lead steel culture worldwide, laying the foundation for a ten-million tourist city.

To realize ‘sharing and coexistence happiness welfare’ that benefits all generations, the city will strengthen customized welfare according to life cycles.

It will expedite the completion of the Heunghae Comprehensive Community Center for the elderly, build consensus among citizens on the memorial park, a one-stop funeral facility where mourning and rest coexist, and enhance the quality of welfare services and public medical services by expanding emergency care services for infants and toddlers and supporting economic activities of women with career interruptions.

Putting citizens’ safety and health as the top priority value, the city plans to thoroughly establish a comprehensive plan to create a ‘safe city Pohang’ and build disaster prevention infrastructure based on new standards.

Working with Korea’s top experts, the city will diagnose the entire urban system, promptly proceed with improvement and restoration construction for local rivers such as the rainwater pumping station and Hyeongsan River, strengthen disaster response functions such as flood control, and thoroughly prepare for the expansion of one-stop respiratory patient treatment centers to prevent COVID-19 resurgence.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok of Pohang said, “At a time when conditions for local autonomy are becoming increasingly difficult due to the concentration in the metropolitan area and economic crises, Pohang’s future depends on what we do.” He pledged, “Now, more than ever, united strength and wisdom are needed. Together with about 2,000 public officials, I will do my best to realize Pohang leaping into the world through city administration that reflects the will and wisdom of our citizens.”