Joo Kyu-il, Jinju Mayor, Holds Press Conference Marking 2nd Anniversary of 8th Elected Term

"I Will Foster Consensus for Sacheon-Jinju Integration"
Future Vision for a 'Prosperous Jinju' in the Latter Half of the 8th Civil Administration Term

On the 8th, Gyu-il Cho, Mayor of Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, held a press conference on the second floor briefing room of City Hall to mark the second anniversary of the 8th popularly elected administration, sharing his reflections on the past two years and outlining future plans.

Having visited Europe at the invitation of the World SME Council and delivered a keynote speech at the ‘UN SME Day’ event held at the UN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on the 27th of last month, Mayor Cho’s feelings on the 2nd anniversary of the 8th administration are especially significant as he promoted Jinju’s K-entrepreneurship on the global stage.

Mayor Cho began by expressing his gratitude to the citizens of Jinju for their unwavering support over the past two years and proceeded to read his statement. He evaluated that, over the past two years, meaningful achievements have been made in laying the foundation for a “prosperous Jinju,” focusing on both the economy and culture.

Above all, the city has spared no investment in discovering future growth engines, such as the KAI Rotary Wing Flight Center, AAV Demonstration Center, micro-satellite development, space environment testing facilities, and the Munsan public housing district.

By hosting international and youth forums, Jinju has promoted the spread of K-entrepreneurship externally, and the three major Bu-gang Jinju projects have been visualized one by one, increasing tourism resources that attract visitors to Jinju.

Mayor Cho Gyuil is holding a press conference on the 2nd anniversary of the 8th term inauguration at the city hall briefing room on the 8th.

By hosting the 2023 Jinju Asian Weightlifting Championships and attracting the 2025 Korea Cup Jinju International Women's Volleyball Tournament, the city has further enhanced its reputation as a sports city. It has also implemented measures to address the low birthrate, such as being the first in the country to fully subsidize out-of-pocket costs for infertility treatment for couples.

Additionally, the city has established the Dumesil Agricultural Theme Park and the Gyeongnam eSports Permanent Stadium, expanding spaces for children and youth to enjoy, and has played a significant role in supporting vulnerable groups with facilities like Hongrakwon and the Welfare and Sports Center for the Disabled.

To alleviate congestion at Plaza No. 10, the city has constructed urban planning roads toward the Pyeonggeo Jugong Apartment and Yeojoong Five-way Intersection, and nearly completed road improvement projects that have continued since the 7th administration, including the expansion of major arterial roads. Healing spaces such as bicycle paths, barefoot walking trails, and riverside gardens have been created throughout the city, and rural environment improvement projects have been actively promoted to make rural areas more livable.

He emphasized that Jinju has opened a new chapter by winning the Presidential Award at the 2022 Korea Urban Awards for four consecutive years, being selected as an excellent institution in the Gyeongsangnam-do joint performance evaluation for three consecutive years, establishing the Facilities Management Corporation, and receiving certifications as a WHO Age-Friendly City and a UNICEF Child-Friendly City.

Mayor Cho stated, “With the ongoing economic downturn worsening the hardships of daily life, the latter half of the 8th administration will focus on revitalizing all areas of Jinju.” He briefly explained the business-oriented direction for the city’s administration in the second half of the term.

He pledged to promptly implement measures to revitalize the central commercial districts, such as Rodeo Street and the Central Underground Shopping Mall, and to quickly establish anchor facilities for urban regeneration projects in Seongbuk, Gangnam, and Jungang districts.

In the Mangjinsan area, the city will create a traditional culture experience center, pedestrian overpass, Namgang cliff trail, and observatory. In the Cheonjeon-dong residential area, a public science museum, the National Jinju Museum, and a multipurpose cultural center will be established.

Furthermore, systematic solutions will be sought for attracting three major national facilities (National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Jinju Branch, Korea Entrepreneurship Hall, National Geoheritage Center) and commercializing the K-Geosang tourism route project.

Through the establishment of an AAV test bed, the re-launch of the first phase of micro-satellites, the development of the station area hinterland, and the construction of a national highway between Jeongchon and Chukdong, the city will ensure that the aerospace industry takes root in the region. With the startup support center scheduled to open this month as a base, administrative efforts will be concentrated so that ventures and startups can become the driving force of the local economy’s resurgence.

To the east, the city will promote the Wolasan Forest Jinju National Garden project; to the west, the Jinjuho Renaissance; to the south, the Jeongchon Happiness Dream Center (swimming pool); and to the north, an additional public bus depot in Jiphyeon-myeon, aiming to invigorate all areas of Jinju.

Jinju’s public transportation services will undergo a dramatic transformation. Next year, the city will actively promote free rides for youth, the Jinju-type MaaS, and the DR project to establish an advanced public transportation system.

Additionally, the city will complete the Sinandong Complex Sports Town, Myeongseok District sports facilities, Innovation City complex cultural library, and the water purification plant integration project to further improve the quality of life for citizens.

Mayor Cho mentioned that for Korea to become one of the world’s top five aerospace powers, western Gyeongsangnam-do must serve as the foundation for nurturing the aerospace industry, and that integrating Sacheon and Jinju is a highly effective way to expand this base. He predicted that integration would not only greatly increase the city’s capacity to accommodate government policies but also serve as a catalyst for the development of western Gyeongsangnam-do.

He acknowledged that the current opposition from the Sacheon area is natural, considering the failure of integration in 2011 and 2012, but emphasized that discussions on integration must continue for the future of western Gyeongsangnam-do. He expressed hope that, going forward, civil society and the private sector will keep the spark of integration alive and build consensus through more active public discourse.

Mayor Cho concluded his speech by stating, “To fulfill the promise of Jinju’s future development and to keep my commitments to the citizens, I will spare no effort and travel anywhere in the country,” and declared his strong determination to create Jinju’s ‘third miracle’ together with the citizens, in step with Korea’s new era as an aerospace powerhouse.