Operation of National Leisure Camping Site and Pet Memorial Park
Imsil County in North Jeolla Province announced on June 2 that it has been selected as the final winner in the "One City/County?One Resident Population Specialization Project" contest hosted by North Jeolla Special Self-Governing Province.
Through this selection, the county has secured 50 million won in provincial funding and plans to add an additional 50 million won from its own budget for next year to implement the project.
The county attracted attention by proposing a themed stay-type tourism program targeting the demand for pet-friendly travel, under the concept "Four-Season Healing Camp with Dogs."
Through this project, the county plans to utilize local infrastructure such as the soon-to-open Osu Ginyeok National Leisure Camping Site and the Uigyeon Tourist Site, and operate pet-friendly travel and experience programs that tour major tourist attractions.
The county currently operates four-season festivals such as the ImsilN Pet Star Festival and the ImsilN Cheese Festival, based on a variety of tourism resources throughout the year. It is expected that, by selecting seasonal themes for pet experience programs during festival periods, the county will be able to showcase the diverse charms of Imsil County in every season.
The county is also investing 18 billion won to create the "World Famous Dog Theme Land" centered on the Uigyeon Tourist Site in Osu, a region well known since 1973 as the hometown of the loyal dog that saved its owner, a story featured in elementary school textbooks.
In addition, the county operates Osu Pet Memorial Park, the nation's first public pet funeral facility, and has completed the construction of facilities such as the Pet Support Center (Osu Banryeonuri) and pet-friendly camping sites.
Going forward, the county plans to further establish famous dog zoos and dog hotels representing over 100 countries worldwide, aiming to solidify its status as the nation’s leading pilgrimage site for Korea’s 15 million pet owners.
County Governor Shim Min said, "Recently, as the perception of pets as family members has spread, the demand for travel with pets has surged. Through this contest project, we expect to create a new resident population in the region and strengthen the foundation for stay-type tourism by utilizing the county's ongoing pet industry initiatives and four-season festivals."
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