Press Conference Marking Third Anniversary in Office...
"Ranked First Nationwide for Rural Quality of Life for Two Consecutive Years"
"I Will Do My Best to Make Icheon a Pleasant and Safe City for the Remainder of My Term"
"We will make sure to secure the necessary industrial complexes to foster the semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment (SoBuJang) industry."
On July 8, Kim Kyunghee, Mayor of Icheon City, Gyeonggi Province, held a press briefing in the main auditorium of City Hall to mark the third anniversary of her inauguration. She expressed her strong commitment to actively expand infrastructure, including the development of industrial complexes to nurture advanced industries and improvements to the transportation network.
Mayor Kim stated, "Since taking office, we have faced many challenges such as the sharp decline in rice prices, the suspension of general grants, and the discovery of larvae in the water supply system. However, with the support of our citizens, we were able to find new breakthroughs and resolve many issues."
Mayor Kim cited the city's transformation into a "livable city" as the most notable achievement during her three-year term. She said, "During my tenure, Icheon was ranked first nationwide for two consecutive years in the rural quality of life assessment announced by the Presidential Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Policy. Last month, we also received the highest grade in the national evaluation of local government heads' pledge fulfillment."
In fact, despite being subject to regulations as a "nature conservation zone," Icheon City continues to maintain the highest employment rate among local governments in Gyeonggi Province. The city's per capita Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) is 2.7 times the average for mixed urban-rural cities, and its fiscal independence ratio is 2.1 times higher. Mayor Kim added, "For the remaining year of my term, I will not settle for the status quo but will do my utmost to make Icheon a city where citizens can live comfortably and happily, and a city that is pleasant and safe."
Mayor Kim especially plans to foster the semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment industry, centering on the anchor company SK hynix. To this end, she stated, "We will actively work to develop additional industrial complexes and attract related companies."
She also plans to accelerate the training of essential talent for the semiconductor industry. Mayor Kim said, "By establishing the Semiconductor Solution Center, the Semiconductor Talent Development Center, and the new semiconductor contract department at Icheon Jeil High School, we have laid the foundation for field-oriented professional workforce development." She added, "Going forward, we will further activate the investment attraction task force (TF) to attract companies and provide customized business services, making Icheon a city full of job opportunities."
She will also continue to expand transportation infrastructure to support urban growth. She said, "By the 2030s, Icheon will become a key hub where the north-south railway stretching from Suseo to Geoje and the east-west railway connecting Pyeongtaek to Gangneung intersect." She added, "We will do our best to establish Icheon as a central hub of railway transportation."
On this day, Mayor Kim also highlighted major achievements from the past three years, including: building an advanced industrial city full of jobs; creating a welfare city where everyone is happy, such as the 24-hour child care center; establishing an educational city that realizes equal learning opportunities; making a city full of opportunities for young people; creating a pleasant and safe urban environment with projects such as the Seolbong Park Forest Plaza, improvements to the Fountain Intersection, and the riverside park campground and water play area; and developing new cultural content such as the Haewol Animation Festival and the Icheon Pet Festival.
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