Jin Byeong-yeong, the governor of Hamyang-gun, Gyeongnam, announced the key plans and strategies for the county administration in 2025 along with the major achievements of 2024.
At the New Year's press conference held on the 20th, Governor Jin said, “Thanks to everyone who has always supported and encouraged us, the policies promised at the inauguration ceremony have begun to bear fruit one by one,” adding, “The time spent so far has been truly valuable and meaningful as much as we worked hard.”
He continued, “Over the past year, we have achieved various results by sowing the seeds of hope and change with the trust and faith of the residents,” and shared the major achievements of 2024.
Governor Jin cited the major achievements of Hamyang-gun in 2024 as ▲ the opening of the first nonstop integrated care center in Gyeongnam ▲ the conversion of the Hamyang-gun Scholarship Foundation into a corporate foundation ▲ confirmation of the relocation of the public library for the first time in 12 years ▲ selection as a leading area for educational development special zones. Through these, the local educational infrastructure was significantly strengthened.
Additionally, by opening the nation’s first Seasonal Worker Support Center, the labor shortage issue on farms was resolved, and the additional construction of dormitories for agricultural workers was selected in a government contest, securing national funding.
Along with the opening of Gyeongnam’s first goat auction market, branding efforts were actively promoted with agricultural specialty product joint brands such as ‘The Hamyang’, the black pork brand ‘Jirisan Gamdoni’, and Hamyang’s representative food ‘Hamtteok’.
Hamyang-gun’s budget also increased significantly. The budget, which was 561.2 billion KRW in 2022, rose by 21.4% to 681 billion KRW this year. Along with this, national and provincial subsidies increased by 27.7 billion KRW compared to the previous year. In particular, through the signing of a rural agreement worth 38.1 billion KRW, a foundation was laid to promote various projects such as revitalizing rural central areas.
This year, Hamyang-gun plans to create a full-fledged transformation through the ‘New Ten Proposals Project’ inheriting the social reform spirit of Choi Chi-won. This project is based on the three core values of the 8th elected Hamyang-gun administration?‘People,’ ‘Tourism,’ and ‘Industry’?and consists of 10 strategies and over 100 projects and linked businesses.
Governor Jin pledged, “If 2024 was the year to lay the foundation for ‘A Strong Leap Forward, Opening Hamyang Together,’ then 2025 will be an important turning point for a leap through full-fledged change via the ‘New Ten Proposals Project’ inheriting the social reform spirit of Choi Chi-won.”
The county will first promote projects closely related to residents’ lives such as welfare, transportation, and environment. It will strengthen living conditions by starting construction of the Nui Center, a regional community hub space, establishing a youth complex cultural center, reorganizing rural bus routes centered on demand, providing free rural bus rides for seniors and children, and enhancing garbage doorstep collection and livestock odor management.
New vitality will be injected into the stagnant city. Through urban regeneration projects, vitality will be added to the old downtown, and the redevelopment of Hamyang-eup’s original downtown and the establishment of cultural welfare urban infrastructure will be actively promoted to build a growth foundation for balanced urban development and downtown vitality. Efforts will also be made to improve residential conditions such as building public rental housing and remodeling vacant houses for the housing stability of youth, company workers, and residents.
Innovation will also be added to the administrative organization. The county has completed organizational restructuring to respond to environmental changes, including the establishment of the Population Policy Division and Tourism Promotion Division. It also plans to bring about change by implementing integrity innovation policies to spread a clean organizational culture.
In particular, the ‘OrreGO Hamyang’ mountain climbing certification project will be fully implemented to promote 15 famous mountains over 1000m as tourism resources using Hamyang’s excellent forest resources. The county will also promote the Hamyang Four Seasons 4U Project, the Sangnim Forest (FOUR-REST) Project connecting Baekyeon Recreation Area, Sangnim, and the Millennium Garden, highlighting the value of Hamyang’s forests and presenting a new paradigm for Hamyang tourism.
Tourism resource projects such as the Namgye Seowon Education Experience Center, the Seonbi Cultural Heritage Pungnyu Tourism Belt, the Nosa-cho Noodle Memorial Hall, and the Baduk Experience Center are being steadily prepared, as well as tourism resource projects through the restoration of the country’s first artificial forest, Daegwanrim, via the urban ecological axis restoration project.
For the future of Hamyang agriculture, the county will strengthen the competitiveness of local food and establish a virtuous cycle food system through the Food Integrated Support Center, foster smart agriculture and new income crops, and nurture new food industries for future agriculture.
The most urgent task for attracting investment is the creation of saleable investment sites. The plan is to sequentially develop a 50,000-pyeong district unit planning zone in the Shingwan district of Hamyang-eup and a 120,000-pyeong logistics complex in cooperation with LH, supplying investment sites in a timely manner. The designation and development of investment leading districts will also be actively promoted to create jobs and invigorate the local economy.
Governor Jin Byeong-yeong said, “In 2025, I will not forget the promises and commitments made with the residents from the beginning and will do my best to create a happy Hamyang focusing solely on the residents,” adding, “I ask for your unwavering affection and interest so that Hamyang can leap forward vigorously, receiving the energy of the blue snake symbolizing wisdom and change.”
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