Gyeonggi Province and Yeoncheon County to Co-Host World Paleolithic Expo
Application Submitted to Ministry of Economy and Finance
Expo Expected to Boost Cultural and Tourism Development in Northern Gyeonggi
Kim Dongyeon: "A Population Surge Will Help Solve Transportation Issues"
Gyeonggi Province and Yeoncheon County are working together to co-host the "2029 Yeoncheon World Paleolithic Expo" to boost tourism in the northern region of Gyeonggi Province.
Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dongyeon is speaking at the "2029 Yeoncheon World Paleolithic Expo Joint Hosting Promotion On-site Briefing" on the 14th. Provided by Gyeonggi Province
On the 14th, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dongyeon held the "2029 Yeoncheon World Paleolithic Expo Joint Hosting Promotion On-site Briefing" at the Jeongok Prehistory Museum. He stated, "I am pleased that Gyeonggi Province is joining forces with Yeoncheon County," and added, "The Yeoncheon County Governor has submitted a letter of intent to Gyeonggi Province. We will apply for approval from the Ministry of Economy and Finance to co-host the event with Gyeonggi Province."
He continued, "Today, I learned a wonderful expression from Yeoncheon County Governor Kim Deokhyeon, who described Yeoncheon as an 'open-air museum.' I believe that if many people visit Yeoncheon through the Expo and the living population of Yeoncheon County, which currently stands at 41,000, grows to hundreds of thousands or even millions, transportation issues will naturally be resolved. I will make Yeoncheon, the open-air museum, a cradle of tourism."
Yeoncheon County Governor Kim Deokhyeon said, "We will conclude the Expo more proudly and successfully than any other, further elevating the value of the Republic of Korea in world history. I expect that the past and present, as well as the present and future, of Yeoncheon County will change."
This briefing session was part of Governor Kim Dongyeon's tour of Yeoncheon County's local economy sites, called the "Daldal Bus (Everywhere We Go, Things Change)." After the on-site briefing, Governor Kim moved to the Jeongok-ri Prehistoric Site to inspect the site.
The Yeoncheon World Paleolithic Expo is an international event aimed at revitalizing tourism in Yeoncheon County, which possesses global historical and cultural value due to the Jeongok-ri site. In 1978, a U.S. soldier discovered a Paleolithic hand axe-previously only found in Europe and Africa-for the first time in East Asia, proving that the cultural level of East Asia was not inferior to that of Europe and Africa at the time. Since then, Yeoncheon has held the Paleolithic Festival, which marks its 32nd edition this year.
Yeoncheon County aims to use the Expo to promote its peace, cultural, and ecological values to the world and to emerge as a global hub for Paleolithic culture. The 2029 event will be held in the Yeoncheon area under the theme "Revolution in Your Hands, Awakening the Future," and will feature a theme pavilion, exhibition and experience halls, an industry pavilion, an international academic conference, performances, and various side events.
To host such an international event requiring national funding, a central administrative agency or metropolitan government must apply for event approval from the Ministry of Economy and Finance and undergo a feasibility review. The results of this review will be announced in February next year. In need of momentum to push forward with the event, Yeoncheon County submitted a letter of intent for joint hosting to Gyeonggi Province, which Governor Kim Dongyeon accepted. The province plans to assist with establishing the basic plan for the Expo, forming the organizing committee, handling practical matters such as budgeting, staffing, and promotion, and coordinating with central government ministries through the joint hosting approach.
Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dongyeon is taking a commemorative photo at the '2029 Yeoncheon World Paleolithic Expo Joint Hosting Promotion On-site Briefing' on the 14th. Provided by Gyeonggi Province
The province expects that hosting the Expo will not only foster the tourism industry in Yeoncheon County, which is at risk of population decline, but also have a positive impact on the cultural and tourism development of the entire northern Gyeonggi region.
Meanwhile, after completing the on-site briefing for the 2029 Yeoncheon World Paleolithic Expo joint hosting initiative, Governor Kim Dongyeon visited the Northern Gyeonggi Wildlife Rescue Center (located in Jeongok-eup, Yeoncheon County). Since opening in September 2021, the center has handled around 2,200 wildlife rescue, treatment, and release cases annually. Since 2022, it has also provided ecological conservation education for daycare centers and kindergartens, with about 6,400 participants each year.
Gyeonggi Province plans to invest approximately 7.3 billion won by 2028 to establish the "Northern Gyeonggi Wildlife Ecological Observation Center" on a 14,852-square-meter site near the rescue center. The new observation center will include permanent facilities for animals with disabilities (such as eagles and eagle owls), a DMZ ecological park, owl and eagle exploration trails, ecological learning video classrooms and exhibition rooms, thereby expanding the functions of the existing wildlife hospital and ecological learning center.
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