All Residents United in One Heart and Mind to Build a Hopeful Yeongyang!

O Do-chang County Governor Holds New Year Press Relations Meeting

O Do-chang, Yeongyang County Governor, held a New Year's press relations meeting.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Gui-yeol] Oh Do-chang, the mayor of Yeongyang County, presented the major achievements of last year and the direction of county administration for the new year 2023 at a press relations meeting held in the county office's large conference room on January 10.

Mayor Oh evaluated last year as a year that pursued many changes to find small happiness and hope for the residents, thereby enhancing the value of Yeongyang. He expressed his gratitude to the attending media personnel, saying, "I sincerely thank you for always being with us for the development of Yeongyang County and for doing your best as representatives of the residents to promote regional development."

The major achievements of last year's county administration included ▲ the launch of the 8th elected term and final confirmation of the Yeongyang County mayor's pledges ▲ the county's budget surpassing 400 billion won for the first time ▲ expansion of residents' safety insurance enrollment ▲ operation of electric vehicles in Yeongyang Birch Forest ▲ strengthening of on-site welfare services, among other key accomplishments.

Looking ahead, the key theme for Yeongyang county administration in 2023 is "Closer Together, Yeongyang Happiness Era," with a focus on three core keywords for county administration: ▲ expansion of the road network for smooth traffic flow ▲ establishment of a prosperous agricultural foundation ▲ and construction of tourism infrastructure.

Odoh Chang, the governor of Yeongyang County, pledges to unite the hearts of all county residents this year to create a hopeful Yeongyang.

First, emphasizing that expanding transportation infrastructure is the most important area this year, the county plans to improve six dangerous road sections and bottlenecks, including the tunnel construction at the Yeongyang entrance section of National Road 31 and the improvement of the dangerous road in Yonghwa-ri, Ilwol-myeon on National Road 31. The county will invest a total of 303.3 billion won in road projects such as the alignment improvement project on National Road 31 and the Maryeongsanhae dangerous road improvement project to enhance internal and external accessibility, bring about revolutionary changes in the traffic environment, and establish a resident-centered transportation system.

To find new possibilities in agriculture and rural areas, the county will expand the highest price guarantee system for red chili peppers, add cabbage to the list of crops covered by agricultural disaster insurance for farmland, and build a rural job support center in the southern region, thereby establishing an agricultural foundation where farmers can prosper. Additionally, the county will focus on promoting small-scale village festivals in towns and townships, including the Yeongyang Wild Vegetable Festival, Yeongyang Chili H.O.T Festival, and Neungi Mushroom Festival, as well as developing tourism infrastructure with Yeongyang's unique charm and dignity, such as the Storytelling Seonbawi Tourist Site project and the Seonbawi Hyogongwon Four Seasons Garden project. Through these county administration initiatives, the county promises to create a Yeongyang full of hope throughout the year.

Mayor Oh Do-chang said, "The New Year's four-character idiom for this year is 'Dongsinmanri (同心萬里),' meaning 'United Hearts Across Ten Thousand Miles.' I will always keep the meaning of 'Dongsinmanri' in mind and unite the hearts of all residents to create a hopeful Yeongyang this year." He added, "In the new year 2023, I ask for the cooperation of the media to help Yeongyang stand out as a '1% special Yeongyang' that is differentiated and competitive from other regions."