Yeongam County Holds Briefing Session on Attracting 500,000 Living Population

Establishing a Virtuous Cycle of Visits, Stays, and Settlement

Yeongam County in South Jeolla Province (Governor Woo Seunghee) has set out to achieve its goal of reaching a living population of 500,000 through three major strategies: "Yeongam you want to visit, Yeongam you want to stay in, and Yeongam you want to live in."

According to the county on April 23, the concept of "living population" was introduced in 2023 to reflect changes in lifestyles brought about by developments in transportation and communication. It includes not only residents registered in the official population but also people who stay in the area for more than three hours at least once a month, as well as foreigners.

Yeongam's living population was first calculated in January of last year, recording 216,911 people. In the third quarter of the same year, the numbers were 267,564 in July, 305,554 in August, and 300,855 in September.

A briefing session on the plan to attract the resident population is being held. Provided by Yeongam County

The county believes that the living population, which was around 210,000 at the beginning of the year, increased to nearly 300,000 due to various tourism festivals and events, such as the Wangin Culture Festival and the opening of Gichan Land.

At the "Briefing Session on the Plan to Attract the Resident Population" held on April 17, Yeongam County shared 93 projects from 22 departments, based on the "Comprehensive Plan for the Living Population" established last month. The county plans to implement these projects to create a virtuous cycle that expands the living population through visits, stays, and settlement.

The first strategy, "Yeongam you want to visit," includes action plans such as: ▲Tourism and festivals enjoyed only in Yeongam ▲Culture and arts that harmonize tradition and modernity ▲Leisure for a life with pauses ▲A greater Yeongam created through external exchanges. Projects to achieve these goals include "Yeongam Travel One Plus One," the creation of a "Daedong Factory Complex Cultural Space," the development of a "Namdo Food Street," and securing "Digital Yeongam Residents."

The second strategy, "Yeongam you want to stay in," features action plans such as: ▲A second life found in rural areas through returning to farming and rural living ▲Expansion of job opportunities. Yeongam County will support these goals through projects such as the "Revitalization of Rural Stay Shelters," the establishment of a "Workation Center," and the operation of the "Yeongam-Style Employment Social Responsibility System."

The third strategy, "Yeongam you want to live in," aims to achieve: ▲Peaceful residential life ▲Population and education measures to counter local extinction ▲Action plans for respecting diversity and foreigner settlement. Specific projects include the creation of a "Regional Vitality Town," the development of "Future-Oriented Rural Spaces," the "Yeongam Future Talent Development Project," and the establishment of "Specialized Streets for Foreign Residents."

At the briefing session, 12 new initiatives were also presented, including the "Yeongam Innovation Road Development" policy training course for public institution employees, the "Real Campus in Yeongam" experiential content for attracting university students, and the "Yeongam Inside" mission tour for youth experiences and explorations.

Governor Woo Seunghee stated, "We will provide incentives to members of the living population who have visited Yeongam even once, and set quarterly and mid- to long-term targets for expanding the living population to ensure continuous management. By securing a living population of 500,000, we aim to revitalize the local economy and create an environment where people from diverse backgrounds can come together and enjoy Yeongam."