2024 City Council Report... Focusing All Administrative Efforts for a 'Better Mokpo'
Mokpo-Shinan Integration, 4th Industrial Development, and Future Vision Through a Young Economic City
On the 15th, Park Hong-ryul, Mayor of Mokpo City, revealed the direction of city administration for 2024 at the first temporary session of the Mokpo City Council this year, expressing his determination by stating, “We will secure sustainable growth engines through bold and relentless challenges to create a better Mokpo.”
Mayor Park presented the main directions for city administration in 2024 as follows: △ Realizing a young economic city attracting youth △ Securing new growth engines based on offshore wind power and shipbuilding industries △ Strengthening the foundation for a stay-type international maritime tourism city and gourmet tourism △ Enhancing the foundation of a fisheries food industry-centered city △ Establishing a Mokpo-style public transportation system △ Creating a livable urban environment △ Attracting a medical school and fostering an atmosphere for Mokpo-Shinan integration.
First, Mokpo City will devote all efforts to creating a 4th industrial ecosystem to become a young economic city attracting youth. The city will progressively promote the creation of a small but strong smart city project, a youth startup knowledge industry center that will serve as a hub for youth entrepreneurship, and a smart green industrial complex. It also plans to complete this year the youth startup incubating platform and youth shelter, which are startup support spaces.
To foster new growth engine industries, the city will promote the construction of an offshore wind power convergence industrialization platform center at the new port, attract global companies, and designate a special development zone. At the South Port, it will establish an education and research district for building an eco-friendly ship cluster and steadily push forward government R&D projects. Additionally, it plans to nurture the special shipbuilding industry related to the construction of the West Coast Coast Guard maintenance facility.
Park Hong-ryul, Mayor of Mokpo, is reporting on city administration duties at the first temporary session of the Mokpo City Council in 2024. [Provided by Mokpo City]
Moreover, the city will strengthen the foundation for a stay-type international maritime tourism city and devote great effort to attracting tourists. It will support the construction of the Jangjado Marine Tourism Resort, where visitors can experience Mokpo’s marine scenery, and expand marine tourism infrastructure such as creating a 30-ri seaside walking trail called Haebyeon Matgil, expanding the coastal deck at Gohado Island, and establishing a coastal cave exploration trail.
Building on the successful hosting of two major sports events last year, Mokpo plans to host the National Youth Sports Festival and the National Disabled Students Sports Festival grandly this year, enhancing its status as a sports tourism city.
Alongside this, the city will solidly build a gourmet tourism foundation as the number one city of taste by hosting the International Namdo Food Culture Festival and constructing the Local Food Promotion Center.
To foster the fisheries food industry, the city will push forward the core project of constructing the fisheries food export complex, aiming for completion in the second half of 2025. It will also focus on designating the Kim Industry Promotion Zone, building the Mokpo Fish Cake HACCP factory, and newly designating Sapjin Port as a national fishing port.
The city will continuously expand urban infrastructure to enrich citizens’ lives. Along with the construction of the new Mokpo Station, it will develop the Mokpo station area into a sophisticated complex cultural and commercial space and promote the Imseong district urban development project in cooperation with LH. It will carefully manage projects such as opening the connecting road for National Route 77, constructing the Daebul Industrial Complex bridge, and building a tram connecting the old downtown area to Oryong.
Efforts will also accelerate to establish a convenient and uninterrupted city bus operation system. Based on the final recommendations submitted after last year’s public deliberation process, the city will continuously gather policy advice and citizens’ opinions and plans to operate a new Mokpo-style public transportation system in July that pursues economic route reorganization, operational systems, and sustainable publicness.
To create a livable urban environment, the city will expand residents’ leisure spaces by establishing a yellow soil barefoot trail and a park golf course in Daeyeon Sports Park. It also plans to newly support public postpartum care centers, public children’s rehabilitation medical centers, and surgery costs for elderly citizens’ knees and cataracts.
Meanwhile, to resolve the issue of long-distance commuting for students, the city, together with the Jeollanam-do Office of Education, will promote relocating Mokpo High School and Mokpo Girls’ High School to the Okam district to provide an optimal educational environment. After relocation, the vacant sites will be planned as the best measures to revitalize the old downtown area.
Lastly, Mayor Park will devote all efforts to attracting a medical school, a long-standing wish of the city, and to achieving Mokpo-Shinan integration. He will continue all-out efforts to ensure that a medical school and university hospital are established in the Southwest region.
Furthermore, the city plans to widely promote the effects and future vision of Mokpo-Shinan integration through resident briefings, media, and various channels to spread the integration atmosphere. It will prioritize policies closely related to residents’ lives, such as adding one cremation furnace to the crematorium for island residents’ convenience.
In conclusion, Mayor Park Hong-ryul stated, “Last year was a year of invaluable achievements thanks to the active participation and support of our citizens. In 2024, with firm confidence and vision for the future, I will engrave the spirit of Pungunjihoe (風雲之會) in my heart, soaring like a blue dragon gaining wind and clouds, and lead Mokpo’s rise together with our citizens.”
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