“Are you only looking at the West Sea 5 Islands? Please also support the two border islands in the East Sea!”
Nam Han-kwon, the governor of Ulleung County in South Korea, once again raised the regional issue of the ‘Special Act on Support for Ulleungdo and Dokdo’ and hoped for the bill’s passage within the year. He also expressed a strong commitment to vigorously promote the ‘Ulleung Public Sewage Treatment Facility Installation Project.’
At a briefing held on the 5th at the Ulleung County Office in Gyeongbuk, Nam explained these two major policy projects in detail and asked for the media’s interest and support.
Nam Hang-kwon, Ulleung County Governor (5th from the right in the front row), and reporters stood in front of the camera after holding a meeting.
The ‘Special Act on Support for Ulleungdo and Dokdo’ is the top priority project of the 8th elected governor’s administration. It was introduced as a representative bill by Kim Byung-wook, the local member of the National Assembly, on March 30.
This bill stipulates that the Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety must establish and implement a comprehensive five-year development plan and annual implementation plans to promote the development of Ulleungdo and Dokdo and improve residents’ quality of life. It also includes special provisions for project funding and local government grants.
Governor Nam emphasized, “Our goal is to pass the bill within the year. If the special act passes the National Assembly as drafted, Ulleungdo, as the only island area in the East Sea and a border and frontier region, will be able to receive national support comparable to that of the West Sea 5 Islands.”
He also explained that under the special act, facilities such as resident evacuation shelters and emergency water supply systems could be prioritized for installation to prepare for future North Korean ballistic missile launches.
In particular, Ulleung County’s position is that the state should support part of the costs for constructing, renovating, and repairing old houses to improve living conditions, and that residential living support payments should also be possible.
Governor Nam urged public and media attention, saying, “The special act includes provisions for special support of local education finance grants related to Ulleungdo education and for admissions beyond university quotas. It also contains measures to systematically manage Dokdo’s natural resources by establishing and implementing environmental conservation plans, and to support necessary projects to expand the resident population.”
He emphasized that the ‘Ulleung Public Sewage Treatment Facility Installation Project’ is also an urgent issue facing Ulleung County. Following consultations last October with the Busan Regional Aviation Administration and Korea Airports Corporation regarding the use of airport land, a sewage treatment facility with a daily capacity of 4,500 tons can be promoted as a private proposal project.
Governor Nam Han-kwon said, “Only when the media communicates and cooperates can the concerns and issues of the county residents be smoothly resolved,” adding, “I will continue to meet with the media to realize an administration that communicates.”
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