"Why Were Goheung and Wando, Producing Half of Kim, Excluded from the Promotion Area?"

Song Hyungkon Points Out Government and Administrative Responsibility in Provincial Assembly Inquiry

On July 21, Song Hyungkon, a member of the Jeonnam Provincial Assembly (Democratic Party of Korea, Goheung 1), expressed strong regret over the exclusion of Goheung County and Wando County from the Kim Industry Promotion Area and called for institutional reform.

During the second plenary session of the 392nd extraordinary meeting of the provincial assembly held that day, Song stated, "Jeonnam ranks first in nationwide Kim exports, and in particular, Goheung and Wando are key regions, accounting for about 47% of the province's total production." He criticized, "It is extremely difficult to understand why these two regions have been excluded from the promotion area."

Jeonnam Provincial Assembly member Song Hyungkon demanded institutional improvement regarding the exclusion of Goheung County and Wando County from the Kim Industry Promotion Area. Provided by Jeonnam Provincial Assembly

He continued, "Fishermen in Goheung are making efforts to improve quality by installing private navigation markers to address the issue of illegal aquaculture themselves and by introducing 'Kkabaegi,' an eco-friendly aquaculture technique." He stressed, "The administration must actively respond to these self-initiated efforts."

Song also pointed out structural causes in relation to the recent plunge in Kim prices. He said, "The auction price of raw Kim, which was 620,000 won last November, plummeted to the 80,000 won range in January this year, and some fishermen have been forced to discard their harvested Kim directly into the sea." He explained, "This is not just a problem of unlicensed aquaculture; the imbalance between supply and demand is caused by a surge in production while processing plants and storage facilities remain unchanged."

He then called for a comprehensive redesign of the industry's system, including: establishing a framework for high quality and international standards; introducing a quality grading system and branding; and adopting a contract farming system.

Song added, "Raw Kim and dried Kim should move toward a mutually beneficial structure rather than a competitive relationship." He said, "We must protect both the livelihoods of fishermen and the sustainability of the Kim industry through field-oriented policies, data-driven administration, and future-oriented budget investments."

In response, Governor Kim Yungrok said, "I fully agree with the need to include Goheung and Wando in the promotion area. We will consult with the central government to ensure that both regions are included. We will also actively distribute eco-friendly Kim activation agents to support the stable production activities of fishermen."