Wando County Council Member Kim Yang-hoon: "Harbor and Port Tourist Resources Must Be Utilized"

“Diverse Opportunities for Contact with Marine Ecological Environment”

[Asia Economy] Councilor Kim Yang-hoon of Wando County urged through a 5-minute free speech that Wando County must undertake future-oriented and productive development to transform the locational potential of harbors and fishing ports, harmonized with the natural environment, into waterfront utilization environments, thereby utilizing them as cultural, leisure, marine healing, and tourism resources for the residents.

Chairman Kim Yang-hoon of the Administrative and Autonomy Committee of Wando County Council [Photo by Wando County Council]

Councilor Kim explained, "Breakwaters serve as open spaces where people can enjoy views and vistas of nature and marine landscapes blended with the sea, as well as opportunities to interact with the marine ecological environment," adding, "Our county has a total of 27 fishing ports with 206 large and small breakwaters."

He lamented, "The breakwaters installed at major harbors and fishing ports are merely concrete structures limited to the role of wave breakers," and added, "Some are difficult to access or are managed as hazardous facilities that threaten the safety of visitors."

He continued, "Although belated, it is now necessary to establish the value creation and management direction for breakwaters, assign place-specific characteristics as marine tourism resources and recreational spaces, open usage opportunities to visitors who wish to share these, and remodel breakwaters into waterfront-friendly designs to become places for new regional revitalization."

As a corresponding measure, Councilor Kim proposed "the Southern Breakwater Waterfront Space Creation Project," which installs content related to Ambassador Jang Bogo, an icon of maritime trade, on the southern breakwater to enhance the efficiency and symbolism of the Jang Bogo Ambassador promotion project and contribute to improving the image of Wando Port.

He also added, "I hope active consideration will be given to the 'Northern Breakwater Marine Art Gallery Creation Project,' which installs artistic sculptures or artworks embodying the identity of the marine city Wando on the northern breakwater, which has the best accessibility."

Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Kyung-pil ckp6737@asiae.co.kr