Yeongdeok County Secures Final Approval for Ganggu Port Fishing Village New Vitality Promotion Project Master Plan

Full-Scale Development of a Harmonized Hub for Tourism and Seafood Industries Begins

Yeongdeok County in North Gyeongsang Province expects the implementation of the "Ganggu Port Fishing Village New Vitality Promotion Project" to accelerate, as the project's master plan passed the deliberation and coordination committee of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and received final approval on May 28.

The Fishing Village New Vitality Promotion Project is a public initiative by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries aimed at improving the economy, living conditions, and residential environment of underdeveloped fishing villages and promoting population inflow. The project is divided into three types according to the scale and characteristics of each fishing village living area.

The project to be carried out at Ganggu Port falls under "Type 1," which aims to establish a fishing village economic platform. This approval of the master plan marks the first case among local governments nationwide in the Type 1 category.

With the approval of this basic design, Yeongdeok County will now begin the detailed design and construction procedures. By 2027, a total project budget of 30 billion won, including 15 billion won in national funding, will be invested. The county will also promote both fiscal projects and private investment attraction to foster Ganggu Port and the surrounding area within a 5 km radius as a core hub for the fishing village economy.

Ganggu Port, known for Yeongdeok snow crab, attracts more than 3 million visitors annually and is a popular tourist destination. Private investments totaling 500 billion won, including the Panac Operated by Sono Hotel and a marine cable car, are being made, positioning the area as a central hub for marine tourism in the East Sea Rim region.

In addition, Ganggu Port has a strong foundation in production and R&D, with seafood processing companies utilizing various marine resources and the Yeongdeok Lohas Seafood Support Center, giving it significant growth potential as a seafood economy hub.

However, the area faces challenges such as a lack of stay-type tourism elements, traffic congestion, an underdeveloped startup ecosystem, outdated residential conditions, and insufficient advanced seafood processing infrastructure. To address these issues, Yeongdeok County plans to link this Fishing Village New Vitality Promotion Project with large-scale private investment projects to create an economic platform that harmonizes the seafood and tourism industries.

To this end, Yeongdeok County will establish the "Yeongdeok U&I Seafood Complex Platform" in the Geumho-ri area of Ganggu-myeon, which will provide integrated support for startups, education, consulting, and information exchange. The county will also operate the "Blue-road Build-up Program," which supports prospective entrepreneurs throughout the entire cycle from basic startup education to growth and scale-up stages, injecting new vitality into the fishing village.

For this purpose, Yeongdeok County signed a memorandum of understanding in December 2024 with the Gyeongbuk Center for Creative Economy & Innovation and the Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation of Daegu Haany University. Through mutual cooperation, the county is creating a startup ecosystem and maximizing synergy within the seafood industry.

Furthermore, Yeongdeok County plans to expand its foundation as a seafood production and processing hub by organically linking the currently operating Yeongdeok No. 1 Lohas Specialized Agro-Industrial Complex and Seafood Support Center with future facilities such as the No. 2 Lohas Specialized Agro-Industrial Complex and the Gyeongbuk Smart Seafood Processing Complex.

Improvements to residential conditions and traffic infrastructure will also proceed in parallel. A new access road connecting Samsa Marine Park and Opo 3-ri will be constructed, which, together with the expansion of National Route 7 and the construction of the Ganggu Marine Bridge, is expected to significantly alleviate the chronic traffic congestion that has plagued Ganggu Port, especially during peak times.

Additionally, near the Yeongdeok U&I Seafood Complex Platform, the "Yeongdeok U&I Residential Platform" will be established to provide housing for young entrepreneurs and workers, supporting population inflow and stable settlement in the region.

Tourism infrastructure will also be expanded. A skywalk will be installed in Opo 3-ri, and nightscape improvement projects will be carried out at the nearby Samsa Marine Park and Haepalang Park, enhancing services for tourists and bringing new energy to local residents.

Furthermore, a public seawater intake facility will be installed in Opo 3-ri to address the issues of insufficient seawater flow in front of Opo Beach and difficulties in seawater supply during the rainy season, thereby contributing to the revitalization of the Opo-ri commercial district and the local area.

County Governor Kim Gwangyeol stated, "This project will serve as a catalyst to resolve local issues and unlock the potential of Ganggu Port. With a sense of urgency for Yeongdeok's future, we will devote our utmost efforts to ensure that Ganggu Port becomes a core hub for the tourism and seafood industries in the East Sea Rim region."