New Year's Press Conference '2025 City Administration Direction' Announcement
Revitalizing Tourism Industry through Hantangang World Drone Festival
Attracting GTX-G Line... Opening the Era of Highway Traffic
"We will revitalize the tourism industry through the Pocheon Hantan River Garden Festa and the Hantan River World Drone Festival, and open a revolutionary era of railway and highway transportation by attracting the GTX-G line and expanding highways."
Pocheon Mayor Baek Young-hyun is explaining the city administration plan for 2025 at the New Year's press conference held on the 9th. Photo by Lee Jong-gu
On the 9th, Baek Young-hyun, mayor of Pocheon City, Gyeonggi Province, held a New Year's press conference at the city hall's main conference room and said, "We will prioritize the happiness of citizens and leap forward as the central city of northern Gyeonggi, creating a greater Pocheon that embraces change with an unwavering spirit of not forgetting our original intention (不忘初心)."
Mayor Baek stated, "We will create a Pocheon that future generations will be proud of," and presented key tasks for city administration in 2025, including resolving citizen inconveniences, improving residential environments, revitalizing education and the economy, developing the tourism industry, and establishing a comprehensive transportation network.
On the same day, Mayor Baek explained in detail various sectors such as resolving parking difficulties by creating a total of 33 public parking lots with 1,613 spaces and small parking lots, improving residential conditions, education, economic revitalization, tourism, railroads, highways, and innovative administration.
Pocheon City plans to solve the parking problem for large vehicles by establishing two dedicated public parking lots for large vehicles within the city through the public cargo truck parking lot project.
Pocheon Mayor Baek Young-hyun is explaining the city administration plan for 2025 at the New Year's press conference held on the 9th. Photo by Lee Jong-gu
Pocheon City is creating a sustainable livestock environment to promote the development of the livestock industry and improve the environment. Since July last year, a special task force (TF) for reducing livestock odor has been operating, conducting comprehensive inspections and consultations with livestock farms to minimize citizen inconvenience caused by odors. At the same time, the city is implementing policies for livestock management and odor reduction, including support for improving odor reduction facilities at livestock farms and support for manure treatment facilities and equipment. Through this, the city plans to protect citizens' living environments while maintaining the competitiveness of the livestock industry.
Efforts to improve the residential environment are also accelerating. Through the Cheongseongsan comprehensive development project and the Pocheoncheon Blueway project, an eco-friendly residential space where ecology and culture coexist will be created. Additionally, with 40 billion KRW in provincial funds received from the selection of Gyeonggi Province’s 3rd Balanced Development Project, the city will focus on three key projects to improve citizens' quality of life: the creation of Taebong Neighborhood Park, installation of Greenway pedestrian bridges, and development of the Hantan River performance camping cultural leisure complex.
Moreover, by 2030, a total of 23,360 premium residential units will be supplied to provide citizens with a pleasant and safe living environment.
Significant changes are also anticipated in the education sector. Last year, Pocheon was designated as an education development special zone and secured 7 billion KRW in national funds. Based on this, the city will strengthen educational infrastructure by improving elementary, middle, and high school facilities and expanding the operation of the hub-type care center ‘Pocheon Aebom 365.’ Additionally, employment and entrepreneurship-linked education programs will be operated to support the economic independence of local youth.
Last year, Pocheon’s per capita GRDP was 50.33 million KRW, ranking first in northern Gyeonggi and establishing itself as a ‘business-friendly city.’ The city plans to actively support the stable and sustainable growth of companies, which are a major pillar of the local economy.
The scale of corporate environment improvement projects will be expanded more than threefold compared to the previous year, and support for rental dormitory costs for small and medium-sized enterprise workers and strengthening the operation functions of the Pocheon Business Center will help companies grow. To revitalize the local economy, incentives for the Pocheon Love Gift Certificates will be increased to 10-20%.
The city will promote the development of the tourism industry centered on the Hantan River. The Hantan River World Peace Garden and cultural and leisure complexes will be created, and the 2nd Pocheon Hantan River Garden Festa and the World Drone Festival will be held. In addition, festivals using local agricultural and livestock products and festivals linked to the Hantan River will be integrated and operated to maximize the region’s appeal.
Mayor Baek explained, "We are working on plans to develop the Hantan River into a stay-type tourist destination accessible day and night, 365 days a year," adding, "We will create an environment that can lead Pocheon’s 100-year future development through various tourism industries."
Expanding the transportation network to improve citizen mobility convenience was also highlighted as a major task. This year, construction of the Okjeong-Pocheon metropolitan railway project will begin, and efforts to attract the GTX-G line will further strengthen transportation accessibility. If construction of the Okjeong-Pocheon metropolitan railway project begins in the first half of this year, it is expected to open in 2030, and the GTX-G line, which is being promoted between Sungui, Nonhyeon, Guri, and Songwoo, is expected to be included in this year’s 5th National Railroad Network Plan.
Additionally, the city plans to extend the highway between Pocheon and Cheorwon, expand major roads, and alleviate public transportation inconveniences by establishing new metropolitan bus routes.
Mayor Baek Young-hyun of Pocheon said, "We will continue to establish ourselves as the central city of northern Gyeonggi through challenges and changes, and strive to achieve sustainable development and citizen happiness simultaneously," emphasizing, "Without losing our original intention, we will continue new challenges with citizens through practice and action, creating a Pocheon that future generations will be proud of beyond economic achievements."
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