"In the Era of Regional Reduction, Establishing Small Hub Areas and Station Public Transport Networks is the Way to Survive"

Gangwon Yeongwol-gun to Hold 'Local Innovation Strategy Policy Debate' on 18th
County Governor Choi: "Sustainable Stable Job Creation and Economic Revival Needed"

Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Choi Myung-seo) held a 'Policy Discussion Forum for Regional Innovation Strategy' on the 18th at the Gossi Cave The Bliss Workation Center, hosted by Yeongwol-gun and the Social Science Research Institute of Kangwon National University, and organized by the Yeongwol Industrial Promotion Agency.

The "Policy Discussion Forum for Establishing Regional Innovation Strategies," hosted by Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, and the Social Science Research Institute of Kangwon National University, and organized by the Yeongwol Industrial Promotion Agency, was held on the 18th at the Gossi Cave The Bliss Workation Center in Yeongwol-gun. Photo by Yeongwol-gun Office

This forum was prepared to share regional innovation measures through rural restructuring and rural regeneration by diagnosing the rural space of Yeongwol-gun, following the complete revision of the 'Act on the Restructuring and Regeneration Support of Rural Spaces.'

It was a discussion forum held again after one year since the policy forum for new growth engines in Yeongwol was held last November to diagnose the current status of Yeongwol-gun's industrial economy and seek industrial structure reorganization and development directions based on innovative growth. At this point, where the Nokjeon-ri area in Yeongwol-gun has been designated as a core material industrial complex opportunity development special zone, exploring rural spatial restructuring measures is deeply meaningful in leading new regional innovation closely related to jobs, residential conditions, and the rural environment.

The forum proceeded with keynote presentations and discussions, including Professor Ma Gang-rae's keynote speech titled "Everyone Lives by Innovating Urban (Rural) Spaces," Visiting Professor Ryu Jong-hyun's presentation on "Directions for Redesigning Urban (Rural) Spaces and Policy Tasks in Yeongwol-gun," and Dr. Lee Jeong-hwan's presentation on "Planning Directions for Rural Spatial Restructuring and Regeneration in Yeongwol-gun."

Professor Ma, through his keynote speech, presented that "population decline is a foreseeable situation, and local areas must design spaces suitable for the era of contraction," emphasizing that "the quality of life for residents must be improved by establishing small hubs within rural and fishing villages." To this end, Professor Ma proposed forming functionally concentrated cities by building small hubs in cluster living areas and creating regional public transportation networks to connect living zones, as well as a job symbiosis model through a tripartite alliance among the young baby boomer generation, small and medium-sized enterprises, and rural local governments.

Following this, Visiting Professor Ryu proposed that, based on the metropolitan KTX railway era, Yeongwol-gun should expand the metropolitan public transportation network and transform into a compact, networked city in the southern Gangwon region, establishing an urban (rural) spatial innovation strategy linking industrial innovation and cultural tourism innovation through the diagnosis of Yeongwol-gun's rural space.

Additionally, Dr. Lee Jeong-hwan explained the rural spatial planning system as a foundation for responding to rural extinction and presented directions for establishing a basic plan for rural spatial restructuring and regeneration, suggesting that Yeongwol-gun should establish a differentiated basic rural spatial plan unique to the region.

Choi Myung-seo, Governor of Yeongwol-gun, stated, "With Yeongwol-gun being designated as the two major balanced development special zones, the Education Development Special Zone and the Opportunity Development Special Zone, in July and November respectively, the 100-year blueprint for a livable Yeongwol, drawn during the 7th and 8th popular election terms, is gradually becoming visible," adding, "We will further advance the policies developed so far and continue efforts to create stable jobs for local residents and economic revival through sustainable development."