Simmin, Imsil County Governor, Goes All Out to Secure Budget Including Meeting with National Assembly Member

Sim Min, the governor of Imsil County in Jeonbuk, is making every effort to secure national budget and resolve current issues to usher in an era of ten million tourists.

According to the county on the 1st, Governor Sim visited the office of National Assembly member Lee Yong-ho the day before to request support for securing national budget and resolving major ongoing projects.

On this day, to improve residential conditions in Imsil-eup, he requested the selection of the project for the construction of sports facilities within the Imsil Residential Vitality Complex Center, specifically ▲the Imsil-gun Residential Vitality Bandabi Sports Center (bowling alley) construction project (5 billion KRW).

Simmin, the mayor of Imsil-gun, is making every effort to secure national budgets and resolve current issues to usher in the era of 10 million tourists.
[Photo by Imsil-gun]

He also actively requested support for the inclusion of the ▲Okjeongho Jaraseom Eco Healing Land project (19 billion KRW) in the National Assembly budget review stage, aimed at satisfying tourism demand through the development of Okjeongho Jaraseom (90,000㎡) and completing the entire Okjeongho waterfront trail (89.3 km) linking Okjeongho’s tourism resources.

To resolve the drying up of Imsilcheon stream passing through Imsil-eup, along with the county’s plan to secure water for river maintenance, he requested securing next year’s national budget for the ▲Imsil Public Sewage Treatment Facility Reuse Project (13.4 billion KRW) for treated sewage water reuse.

In particular, discussing local issues, he emphasized that last month’s Imsil N Cheese Festival attracted a record 559,500 tourists, and with the opening of the Okjeongho suspension bridge connecting Bungeo Island Ecological Park, numerous tourists are visiting Imsil. However, among the nine sections of the Jeolla Line, only Imsil Station is not served by KTX.

Since many visitors come not only for tourism but also to the National Imsil Memorial and the 35th Division, improving regional accessibility and balanced development requires KTX stops. Therefore, he requested cooperation in consultations with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for ▲regular KTX service at Imsil Station (19.5 billion KRW).

Additionally, to reduce county expenses related to ▲the construction of the Disabled Support Center (4.5 billion KRW), he proposed 2 billion KRW support from the lottery fund, and for the repayment fund (5.1 billion KRW) from the Seomjingang Dam resettlement complex project, he requested ▲reallocation of the Ministry of Environment’s repayment fund to Imsil County to be used for the Ssangam District front field alternative farmland development project as a livelihood measure for dam construction victims.

Meanwhile, regarding local trends, he expressed active interest and support to ensure the transfer of milk delivery volume to the Daegu factory following the closure of the Purmil Jeonju factory (Imsil) and relocation to the Daegu factory, and to attract sound companies to the Osu Industrial Complex.

Finally, while proposing four special grants for the second half of 2023, he requested attention and support for ▲the construction of the Imsil-gun Bandabi Sports Center (1 billion KRW), ▲the expansion of the entrance road to Sangchon Village, Ogung-ri, Shindeok (1 billion KRW), ▲the creation of the Okjeongho Barrier-Free Sharing Road project (1 billion KRW), and ▲the establishment of scientific farming facilities at the Agricultural Technology Center (1 billion KRW).

Governor Sim Min said, “Securing national budget is not easy due to the government’s fiscal tightening policy and the difficult national economy, but we will devote all efforts to resolving issues for county development and revitalizing the region.” He added, “By fostering the tourism industry, a future strategic industry, during the 8th term of the local government, we will transform Imsil, once a barren land for tourism, into a nationwide tourism hub attracting ten million tourists annually.”

Imsil = Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park No-sik baekok@asiae.co.kr