Andong Opens the 'Door of Transformation' in 2025

Top 10 Issues That Redefined Urban Standards
A Major Leap Forward Across Industry, Culture, Transportation, and Daily Life

The '2025 Top 10 Municipal Issues of Andong,' announced by Andong City on November 21, serves as a record that demonstrates not just the transformation of a provincial city, but the 'evolution of a city.' Based on a survey of all city employees, these results objectively summarize the changes felt by the public sector, clearly revealing the pace at which Andong has advanced.

A Year of Leap and Transition for Andong Seen Through the 'Top 10 Issues'

The most significant issue this year was the recovery process following the large-scale wildfire in March. With housing support, deployment of recovery personnel, and donations and volunteer efforts from across the country, Andong's communal resilience became even more apparent. Employees cited 2025 as "the year citizens rose again, overcoming disaster."

The full opening of the National Road Bypass, a long-awaited project for 15 years, was also recorded as a major turning point this year. Urban traffic congestion was significantly eased, and mobility greatly improved, leading to higher citizen satisfaction. The accelerated flow of local logistics had a direct positive impact on revitalizing the regional economy.

Changes in daily life were also notable. The 'Walking Path in Water,' which emerged as a new healing space for citizens during the summer, fundamentally changed the way nature and relaxation are experienced within the city. Raising the purchase limit for the mobile Andong Love Gift Certificate and strengthening various promotions led to increased sales for small business owners, resulting in a tangible boost to the local economy.

The culture and tourism sector was the most dynamic growth axis for Andong in 2025. The Andong International Mask Dance Festival attracted 1.6 million visitors, establishing itself as a global festival, while year-round events such as the Andong Amsan Ice Festival and Andong Superstar showed an overall upward trend. Furthermore, with Andong being selected as the '2026 East Asia Cultural City,' the city has established itself as an international hub leading cultural exchanges among Korea, China, and Japan.

In the future industries sector, the groundbreaking of the National Advanced Vaccine Development Center drew the most attention. This institution, which will play a key role in discovering and stockpiling vaccine candidates and responding to infectious diseases, is regarded as a core pillar that enhances the completeness of the Andong Bio Cluster.

Additionally, Andong Soju and Andong Jjimdak were featured at the official dinner of the Korea-Japan summit, further strengthening the global competitiveness of local cuisine. The renewed spotlight on traditional liquors and clan cuisine on the world stage is seen as a milestone that visualizes the internationalization potential of 'Andong gastronomy.'

In the field of educational innovation, the launch of the National Kyungguk University, the nation's first integration of national and public universities, drew significant attention as a meaningful model. It is regarded as a structural achievement in that it realizes a 'region-based future university' model by fostering local talent and establishing an industry-academia cooperation system.

Andong Mayor Kwon Gichang stated, "2025 was a turning point across all fields of industry, culture, transportation, and daily life," emphasizing, "The Top 10 Issues are achievements created together with citizens, and in 2026, we will focus on ensuring that citizens can truly feel the effects of these changes."

A Major Leap Across All Fields of Industry, Culture, Transportation, and Daily Life: 10 Key Issues That Changed the Standards of Cities

The reporter notes, "Andong in 2025 did not remain confined to its familiar image as a 'city of tradition,' but instead redefined itself by restructuring its industry, culture, and future foundations, presenting a new urban model." The leap forward in 2025 is all the more significant in that it is not the end, but rather the starting point for even greater changes heading into 2026.