Achievements Across Childbirth, Youth, Agriculture, Tourism, Industry, and Transportation
Accelerating Tangible Changes Residents Can Feel
Since the launch of the 8th popularly elected administration, Hamyang County in South Gyeongsang Province has been steadily fulfilling its promises through changes that all residents can feel and visible achievements over the past three years.
To address population issues, the county has invested in future generations, improved the residential environment to enhance quality of life, revitalized rural areas through agricultural innovation, shifted its tourism paradigm, and established core logistics and industrial infrastructure in the southern inland region. Hamyang County has achieved notable results across a wide range of fields.
With one year remaining, Hamyang County is now preparing for an even stronger future based on the progress made so far. The county aims to accelerate its core projects, including generous investments in future generations, improvements to residential conditions, and the fostering of future industries. The goal is to fulfill promises made to residents and drive tangible changes that residents can directly experience.
Hamyang County is implementing a nationwide top-tier, life-stage customized policy that provides up to 136 million won per person from childbirth through youth. In May 2024, Hamyang opened the province’s first “Nonstop Integrated Care Center,” providing seamless care, counseling, and after-school programs for children and adolescents. More than 4,800 residents benefit from this center annually.
In addition, since July 2023, the county has implemented the “Dream Voucher” program for youth, providing 50,000 won per month for those aged 13 to 15 and 100,000 won per month for those aged 16 to 18 to support cultural and experiential activities. As a result, more than 1,600 young people each year can gain diverse experiences without financial burden.
Furthermore, the Hamyang County Scholarship Foundation, which has been the center of local talent development for 20 years, will be converted into a foundation in November 2024, and has attracted a record 490 million won in donations. The scholarship fund has now surpassed 7 billion won, securing a stable educational support base.
To attract young people, the Hamyang FC U-18 soccer team was established in February 2025. This has led to the relocation of 49 players and parents to Hamyang County, and is expected to generate more than 500 million won annually in economic impact for the region.
Additionally, in July 2024, Hamyang County was designated as an “Education Development Special Zone,” securing 9 billion won in national and provincial funding over three years. The county plans to simultaneously promote regionally specialized education, innovation in public education, and improvements to the residential environment.
Looking ahead, starting in 2026, Hamyang County will invest a total of 15.4 billion won to build the “Hamyang Student Complex Library,” and by 2028, will construct the “Youth Complex Culture Center” with a budget of 15.8 billion won.
Since the launch of the 8th administration, Hamyang County’s total budget has increased by 21.4%, from 516.2 billion won in 2022 to 681 billion won in 2025. In particular, national and provincial funding secured for 2025 reached a record high of 232 billion won.
At the same time, various infrastructure projects have been significantly expanded, including the Gachon flood-prone area comprehensive improvement project (43.3 billion won), the full reconstruction of the Anui Water Purification Plant (26 billion won), and disaster prevention projects (24 billion won).
In the Gyosan, Singwan, and Sincheon-ri areas of Hamyang-eup, the 40 billion won “1+1 Urban Vitality Project” has been launched in earnest. The urban environment has been greatly improved through undergrounding of power lines (10 billion won), upgrades to major intersections, and installation of roundabouts. From January 2025, a door-to-door waste collection system has been implemented in Hamyang-eup and Anui-myeon, creating a more pleasant living environment.
In Anui-myeon, 60 units of village-type public housing have been supplied, while 50 units in Hamyang-eup and 12 units in Sasang-myeon have been provided as public rental housing to strengthen residential welfare. Starting in 2025, the county plans to create 20 “Welcome Houses” per year by remodeling vacant homes to support the influx of urban residents returning or relocating to rural areas.
Additionally, a complete overhaul of bus routes for the first time in 40 years has greatly improved transportation convenience and reduced isolation in underserved areas. Hamyang County has won seven national awards in urban regeneration project competitions, including for Anui-myeon and Seosang-myeon, and is investing 15.5 billion won and 8.3 billion won, respectively, to improve underdeveloped areas.
Going forward, Hamyang County will invest 25.6 billion won to build a new waste incineration facility and will complete the 19.9 billion won Hamyang Nui Center complex community facility by 2026. In addition, the 36-hole Baekyeon-ri Park Golf Course and park golf courses in 11 towns and townships will be expanded in phases to enhance leisure and sports infrastructure for residents.
In April 2024, Hamyang County opened the nation’s first “Seasonal Worker Support Center” to address chronic labor shortages in rural areas. By remodeling a former motel as worker accommodation, the county is providing stable housing and increasing satisfaction for both farmers and workers.
Hamyang has also become the first in the province to implement a public seasonal worker program, benefiting 4,366 people annually. The number of seasonal workers allocated by the Ministry of Justice for 2025 has increased by 142 from the previous year to 445.
The county has established the nation’s first fully mechanized onion cultivation model, which was selected as the best pledge in the “Jobs and Employment Environment Improvement” category at the 2024 National Manifesto Competition. In addition, on-site support such as rental farm machinery delivery services and revitalization of contract farming has greatly improved farming convenience for about 200 households annually.
Looking ahead, Hamyang County plans to invest a total of 2.4 billion won to build a second seasonal worker dormitory by 2027, and will establish a 4 billion won open-field smart agriculture pilot zone on 40 hectares in the Handeul district, leading the way in advanced agriculture.
The “Orel GO Hamyang” mountain peak completion certification program, launched in January 2025, has surpassed 10,000 app registrants. The county expects to attract more than 100,000 hikers annually and generate over 10 billion won in economic impact. In 2025, Hamyang County was the only city in South Gyeongsang selected as a “rising city” in the Korea Tourism Organization’s big data analysis, once again proving its tourism competitiveness.
Through the “Hamyang Four Seasons 4U” project, which has secured a total project cost of 19.5 billion won, the county is creating a stay-type complex living culture hub. The opening period for Jirisan Chilseon Valley, one of the nation’s three major valleys, has been extended to six months a year and five days a week, improving convenience for tourists.
Going forward, Hamyang County will develop the Sangnim Forest Project, creating an auto camping site, a barefoot walking trail, and a forest plaza, and will actively develop historical and cultural tourism resources such as Namgye Seowon, Gaepyeong Village, Nosa Cho Guksu Memorial Hall, and Choe Chiwon History Park.
Based on the Presidential Committee for Balanced National Development’s plan to make Hamyang a logistics industry hub city, the county is actively promoting the development of industrial and distribution-type district units (25 billion won), investment-leading districts (66.3 billion won), and a national industrial complex (2.64 million square meters).
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s 2025 national and local road expansion plan, projects for National Route 24 (52.8 billion won) and Local Route 37 (78.7 billion won) have been confirmed. With the passage of the Special Act on the Dalbit Inland Railway in January 2024, construction is scheduled to begin in 2028.
County Governor Jin Byeongyoung stated, “The past three years of the 8th administration have been a time of responding with changes that residents can see and feel firsthand. Together with more than 750 public officials, I will continue to practice without excuses, deliver results, and implement practical policies that protect and improve the daily lives of our residents, ensuring a better Hamyang.”
He added, “We will not stop for a single moment in fulfilling our promises, including providing the nation’s highest level of support from childbirth through youth, creating a child-friendly environment, revitalizing the local economy through both agriculture and tourism, and establishing a well-connected transportation network and logistics hub city. The support and participation of our residents is the driving force that will change the future of Hamyang.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
