Outstanding Cases in the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's 2025 Local Government Population Decline Response Competition
Laying the Foundation for Advanced Bio Industry to Revitalize the Local Economy in Hongcheon County
Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province announced on December 19 that its provincial government and Hongcheon County were selected as excellent cases in the '2025 Local Government Population Decline Response Best Practice Competition' hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, receiving the Prime Minister's Commendation and the Minister of the Interior and Safety Commendation, respectively.
Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province's provincial government and Hongcheon County were selected as excellent cases in the '2025 Local Government Population Decline Response Best Practice Competition' hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, receiving the Prime Minister's Commendation and the Minister of the Interior and Safety Commendation, respectively. Provided by Gangwon Province
This competition was organized to identify and promote outstanding policies addressing population decline among local governments. Thirteen local governments from across the country that passed the preliminary review participated in the main event, where they presented their cases and underwent a final evaluation to select the award recipients.
Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province received high marks for its presentation on 'The Era of Resident Population Opened by the Gangwon Resident Program,' which demonstrated the achievements and potential of policies that connect people to the region even if they do not permanently reside there.
Since May of this year, the province has issued mobile Gangwon Resident Cards to people living outside Gangwon, offering discounts and various benefits at 303 affiliated accommodations, leisure, and tourism facilities within the province. These efforts have encouraged visits and longer stays by non-residents. As a result, within just seven months of launching the program, approximately 29,000 people have joined as Gangwon residents, and the province has secured 303 partner establishments.
Notably, the number of people staying in the province has reached 6.7 times the registered population, ranking first nationwide and proving the significance and effectiveness of the resident population policy.
Hongcheon County received the Minister of the Interior and Safety Commendation for its case on 'Revitalizing the Local Economy through Fostering the Advanced Bio Industry.' To overcome the limitations of its existing industrial structure, the county has focused on establishing a bio industry base centered on the National Antibody Cluster Project, attracting related companies and creating jobs, which has led to an influx of workers and revitalization of the local economy.
Lee Heeyeol, Director of Planning and Coordination at Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, stated, "Expanding the inflow of resident population and creating quality jobs within the region are the core of population policy. We will continue to identify and support various projects tailored to local conditions to promote population inflow and revitalize the regional economy together."
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