Achieving the "UNESCO Triple Crown"...
Securing International Recognition for Ecological, Historical, and Cultural Heritage
Nak In Sung, Mayor of Changnyeong County, Gyeongnam, is marking the third anniversary of the 8th popularly elected administration by achieving concrete results across all areas of county governance. These include attaining UNESCO Triple Crown status, winning six awards through customized welfare policies, fostering sustainable agriculture, establishing year-round tourism infrastructure for sightseeing and leisure, and ushering in an era of an initial budget of 710 billion won. Through proactive field-oriented administration, he is accelerating efforts to realize a "Bright Future for Changnyeong."
Changnyeong County has established itself as a UNESCO Triple Crown region, having been listed in all three UNESCO categories: Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, World Heritage, and Biosphere Reserve. This recognition has positioned the county as a local government acknowledged both domestically and internationally for its ecological and cultural value. Starting with the inscription of Yeongsan Jultagi as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2015, the Gyo-dong and Songhyeon-dong Tumuli were designated as World Heritage sites in 2023, and the entire county was named a Biosphere Reserve in 2024.
Through research services for establishing a management plan for the systematic conservation and management of the Biosphere Reserve, the county is formulating development strategies that link the UNESCO brand with tourism resources. It is also actively expanding tourism infrastructure to attract foreign visitors, including promotional projects for the World Heritage-listed tumuli and the expansion of the Changnyeong Museum Complex Cultural Center.
Nak In Sung's welfare administration is centered on "customized welfare that residents can tangibly experience." By collaborating with township and village community welfare councils, operating the Happiness Guardians, and running the Post Office Well-being Mail Service, the county has built a dense welfare system focused on proactively identifying and supporting households in crisis and eliminating welfare blind spots. Specialized care programs unique to Changnyeong, such as integrated care for the elderly and disabled, bereavement cleaning, quarantine services, support for discharged patients, and vascular health management for small business owners, have received strong positive responses from the local community.
In particular, the implementation of a 1,000-won flat fare for rural buses, expansion of childbirth incentives, the launch of pediatric services at Changnyeong Seoul Hospital, provision of first-time daycare entrance congratulatory funds, housing scholarships for university students, and hosting of career and admissions seminars with EBS instructors are closely tied to residents' daily lives and contribute to improving their quality of life.
As a result of these efforts, Changnyeong County received a total of six awards last year from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and other organizations, achieving the distinction of winning the grand prize for seven consecutive years and receiving awards for ten consecutive years. The county is also accelerating the establishment of mid- to long-term welfare infrastructure, including the largest senior job project in the province with 43 project groups and 2,660 participants, the creation of a welfare facility cluster for the disabled, and the construction of a dementia care center.
As the largest garlic-producing area, accounting for 21.5% of the nation's garlic output, and the birthplace of onion cultivation, agriculture is the core industry of Changnyeong County's local economy. To strengthen the distribution base of Changnyeong garlic, the county has consistently promoted large-city marketing events, operated an integrated food support center for stable supply of meal ingredients, and collaborated with major corporations. Efforts are also being made to advance "the Changnyeong-style future agriculture" centered on the sixth industrialization, including the creation of a garlic and onion rural convergence industrial zone, operation of the Changnyeongdaum Processing Center, and development of mechanization standard models.
While continuing support to enhance agricultural competitiveness through fostering young farmers, expanding eco-friendly agriculture, and modernizing livestock facilities, the county is also actively addressing rural labor shortages. This includes expanding the introduction of foreign seasonal workers through an MOU with Laos, operating agricultural machinery rental centers on holidays, activating rural manpower brokerage centers, and increasing the mechanization rate of garlic and onion cultivation. In An-ri, Ibang-myeon, the county has established the "Santokkibapsang" youth restaurant startup space to both specialize in local food and support youth entrepreneurship. Through these policies, Changnyeong County is steadily laying the foundation for realizing sustainable future agriculture while maintaining the competitiveness of traditional agriculture.
In line with its status as a UNESCO Triple Crown city, Changnyeong County is accelerating its transformation into a year-round tourism destination where visitors want to stay in all seasons. At Bugok Hot Springs, which boasts the highest water temperature in the country (78°C), facilities for stay-type tourists such as an artificial waterfall, nightscape lighting, and a healing loess trail have been established, and the remodeling of the Maze Park and Renaissance Hall is nearing completion. With the continued hosting of national-scale sports events and training teams, the synergy with Changnyeong Sports Park is becoming visible, raising expectations for a second golden age of Bugok Hot Springs.
Notably, the third generation of the Upo Crested Ibis, born in the wild, has successfully fledged, marking a significant achievement in the restoration project. The "Changnyeong Nakdong River Canola Flower Festival" has also established itself as one of Korea's leading spring flower festivals. Tourism infrastructure utilizing Changnyeong's abundant natural resources, such as the Hwaaksan Healing Forest, Upo Wetland Ecological Healing Course, and Upo Natural Ecological Culture Park, is also being steadily expanded.
The 2026 Provincial Sports Festival, which will be co-hosted for the first time among county-level governments in the province, is being prepared without a hitch. The county is also continuously expanding rest areas that enhance quality of life, including the Yeongsan Yeonji Smart Park, regional park golf courses, and the Okcheon Reservoir walking trail, as well as the creation of 12 barefoot walking trails, transforming Changnyeong into a year-round healing city where people want to stay.
As the fourth year of the 8th popularly elected administration approaches, Changnyeong County is steadily implementing 55 pledged projects across five major sectors (with an average implementation rate of 68.2%). Based on "resident-centered administration," the county is laying the groundwork for change and progress through tangible achievements in welfare, agriculture, tourism, and the local economy. In addition, the county is enhancing administrative reliability through strategic efforts to secure national and provincial funds and continuous communication and cooperation with the county council, while strengthening policy effectiveness by directly visiting the field to reflect residents' voices in county governance.
Furthermore, to ensure the continued development of the Bugok Hot Springs tourism industry, the county is promoting the installation of public water supply facilities and is closely consulting with the government to include the Changnyeong Daehap Industrial Complex rail line in the national railway network plan. The county is also focusing its administrative efforts on resolving long-standing regional issues, such as the expedited development of the Yeongnam General Industrial Complex and attracting private investment in Bugok Hawaii.
Mayor Nak In Sung stated, "Now is the time for Changnyeong to transform in line with its status as a UNESCO Triple Crown city," and expressed his determination by saying, "I will focus all my efforts on making Changnyeong a place people want to stay and return to."
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