Namwon City Successfully Concludes the 2nd Jeonbuk Forum

Discussion on Strategies for Regional Specialization Including Culture and Tourism

Namwon City in North Jeolla Province held the "2nd Jeonbuk Forum" at Namwon Sweet Hotel on the 24th.

This forum was co-hosted by North Jeolla Province and Namwon City and organized by the Jeonbuk Institute. More than 700 participants attended, including representatives and experts from domestic and international organizations, as well as local citizens.

Namwon City held the "2nd Jeonbuk Forum" on the 24th at Sweet Hotel. Photo by Namwon City

The theme for this year was "Sustainable Growth of the Bioeconomy and Regional Specialized Development." While the first forum, held last year in Iksan, presented a future vision centered on the agro-bio industry, the second forum was significant in that it focused not only on agro-bio industries centered in Namwon but also on strategies for regional specialization, including culture and tourism.

Following the opening ceremony, the main event featured special and keynote speeches by experts, a panel discussion, and three sessions. Notable speakers included Sarath Davala, Chair of the Basic Income Earth Network in India; Wu Bihu, Founding Chair of the International Tourism Studies Association; and composer Yoon Ilsang. Each presented on topics such as global trends in the bioeconomy, the value of mountain tourism centered on Jirisan, and the potential for globalization of the cultural industry through the fusion of K-POP and traditional music.

During the panel discussion, Lee Haewon, Vice President for Industry-Academia Cooperation at Jeonju University, served as moderator, with participants including Noh Hongseok, Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs, and Lee Sungho, Deputy Mayor of Namwon. They discussed strategies and solutions for developing specialized industries in North Jeolla Province and Namwon City to lead the bioeconomy.

The subsequent thematic sessions covered a variety of topics, including strategies for regional specialization of the agro-bio industry, internationalization of K-culture and tourism industries, and sessions linked to domestic forums. Proposals by the city, such as the establishment of an eco-smart farm agro-bio industrial district, the development of eco-friendly mountain tourism in the Jirisan area, and the promotion of a cultural industry development zone, garnered significant interest from participants.

Mayor Choi Kyungsik stated, "With this forum as a turning point, Namwon City will take the lead in realizing the vision of North Jeolla Special Self-Governing Province. We will establish a sustainable development model with agro-bio and culture and tourism industries as the two main pillars, aiming to grow as a city shared by Korea and the world."

Meanwhile, this Jeonbuk Forum served as an opportunity for Namwon to lay the foundation for becoming a future growth hub of North Jeolla Special Self-Governing Province. The city plans to implement the forum's outcomes as concrete policies and projects.