"Solution for Balanced Regional Development"... Haenam County Proposes 'Rural and Fishing Village Water Supply' to Government

Formation of a Task Force with Suncheon National University and Kunsan National University
First Case of Collaboration with Local Universities

Haenam County in South Jeolla Province has officially requested the government to adopt the "Leading Model for Rural and Fishing Village Water Supply in Korea" as a national agenda. This move is drawing attention as a proactive strategy to address the fundamental crises facing rural and fishing communities, such as the climate crisis and regional depopulation.

On July 23, during a policy meeting held at the National Planning Committee conference room in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Haenam County proposed to the Presidential National Planning Committee's Special Committee on Balanced National Development that the model be included as a national agenda item.

Haenam County requested the government to adopt the "Leading Model for Rural and Fishing Village Water Supply in Korea" as a national agenda. Photo by Haenam County

The meeting was attended by Park Soo-hyun, Chairperson of the Special Committee on Balanced National Development, Myeong Hyun-gwan, Governor of Haenam County, Oh Hyun-min, Director of Planning at Suncheon National University, and Kwon Bong-oh, Dean of the Graduate School at Kunsan National University, along with other officials and academic representatives.

The rural and fishing village water supply model envisioned by Haenam County aligns with the regional balanced development philosophy of the Lee Jaemyung administration. It goes beyond simple rural support projects, expressing a commitment to comprehensively address complex challenges such as population decline, food security, and industrial transformation.

The core components include regional innovation centered on local universities, fostering future-oriented agricultural industries, improving living conditions, and establishing a foundation for population inflow. The three institutions plan to create a region-led joint cooperation project that combines Haenam County's agricultural and fisheries infrastructure?recognized as the optimal site for climate change agricultural and fisheries trials on the Korean Peninsula?with the research capabilities of the universities, aiming to establish a successful regional growth model.

Last month, the county signed agreements with Suncheon National University and Kunsan National University to officially launch the "Rural and Fishing Village Water Supply Task Force (TF)." Through this, the government, academia, and research sectors will collaborate to establish a demonstration model, with the goal of expanding it into a national strategic model in the future. The meeting covered a wide range of strategies for industrial restructuring in the southwest coastal region, including: ▲ advancement of the agricultural and fisheries industries ▲ establishing a global food security hub in response to the climate crisis ▲ building a system of forward and backward linkage industries in agriculture and fisheries ▲ attracting national agricultural and fisheries research institutions ▲ expanding educational and residential infrastructure to encourage population inflow ▲ and internationalizing K-agriculture and fisheries.

Chairperson Park Soo-hyun stated, "Haenam County is the first local government to propose a metropolitan policy agenda in cooperation with universities," adding, "The direction of the new government's national administration is that balanced development can only be sustainable when local autonomy and effort are combined with more than just a simple redistribution of resources from the capital region. We will actively support Haenam County's proposal."

He continued, "Under the fundamental principle that 'the growth of the region is the growth of the nation,' the committee is prioritizing the development of rural and fishing communities as a core policy agenda. We will actively review the proposals from universities and local governments and work together to design balanced growth policies."

Governor Myeong emphasized, "I have thoroughly explained how Haenam County's rural and fishing village water supply strategy can serve as a solution to realize the new government's philosophy of balanced regional development," adding, "We will do our utmost to ensure that Haenam's natural and industrial strengths are leveraged so that our proposal is adopted as a national agenda."