Future Strategies for Local Cities Learned from Suncheon

Entrance Ceremony Held for the 18th Hyangbusuk Class
Special Lecture Delivered to 112 Leader-Level Public Officials

Suncheon City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Noh Gwan-gyu) announced that on the 14th, it held the entrance ceremony for the 18th class of Hyangbusuk at the Honam Patriots Memorial Hall for leader-level public officials from 25 local governments nationwide.

Hyangbusuk was established by the Korea Local Government Management Institute to nurture key regional talents and has provided education to more than 100 public officials annually since 2008. Originally based in Chungcheong Province, Hyangbusuk relocated its training center to Suncheon after signing a business agreement with Suncheon City in January 2023.

On the 14th, Suncheon City held the 18th Hyangbusuk Induction Ceremony at the Honam National Defense Memorial Hall for leading public officials from 25 local governments nationwide. Photo by Suncheon City

This year, the 18th Hyangbusuk training program includes 112 team leader and director-level public officials selected from local governments across the country. They will visit Suncheon once a month until December to participate in the training sessions.

At the entrance ceremony, Suncheon Mayor Noh Gwan-gyu delivered a special lecture on the topic, "The Secret to the Success of the Garden Expo and the Future of Local Cities." In his lecture, Mayor Noh shared the process and key strategies behind Suncheon City's preservation of Suncheonman and the successful hosting of the International Garden Expo.

He emphasized, "For the future of local cities, the roles and working methods of public officials are crucial," and added, "I hope you will envision the future of your cities based on imagination and consider strategies to put those visions into action."

Leader-level public officials from across the country commented, "Suncheon is a local city that seems ahead of its time, and we were deeply impressed by Mayor Noh's profound insight, not only in policy but also in philosophy and vision. Through the Hyangbusuk training, we are motivated to become public officials who can lead change in our regions."

Kang Hyeonggi, Director of Hyangbusuk, stated, "Through the successful cases demonstrated by Suncheon City and the upcoming lectures, we will nurture core leaders to guide regional development."