Council of Four Western Gyeongnam Counties Held at Geochang County Office ... Discussing Joint Development

Four Western Gyeongnam Counties Continue Joint Achievements in Sports and Tourism
Discussing Coexistence and Mutual Development

The Gyeongnam Geochang County Office recently hosted the '8th Administrative Council of the Four Western Gyeongnam Counties,' attended by National Assemblyman Shin Sungbeom and the county governors of Sancheong, Hamyang, Geochang, and Hapcheon.

The 'Administrative Council of the Four Western Gyeongnam Counties' was established in 2024 through a business agreement to jointly address and promote coexistence and prosperity in the four counties. Since then, the council has been pursuing practical collaboration, including the joint hosting of the 2027 Gyeongnam Provincial Sports Festival and operating a consultative body for regional tourism organizations (DMO).

Geochang, Hamyang, Hapcheon, and Sancheong 8th Administrative Council Meeting Group Photo.

At the meeting held on January 31, the participants shared plans for the creation of solar income villages, a key national policy agenda, and actively considered participation in the project as a way to ensure stable income for local residents. The main topics discussed included collaborative tasks for the efficient preparation of the 66th Gyeongnam Provincial Sports Festival, which is scheduled to be jointly hosted in 2027, and joint response measures for establishing a branch office of the Changwon Immigration and Foreigners Office to improve accessibility for the registration and stay procedures of foreign workers.

The four counties also shared major local projects and events during the meeting. Key items included: ▲ Sancheong County's 'San N Cheong Shopping Mall' special exhibition for the Lunar New Year, ▲ Hamyang County's 'O-leul GO Hamyang' mountain summit certification project, which will be revamped in 2026, ▲ Geochang County's efforts to attract and operate a TOEIC test center, and ▲ Hapcheon County's plans for the 25th Hapcheon Cherry Blossom Marathon.

National Assemblyman Shin Sungbeom emphasized, "The creation of solar income villages is a community profit-sharing project utilizing farmland and other assets, and it is a necessary initiative for the four counties, which are facing an aging population, to develop in the future." He also stated, "Attracting a branch office of the Changwon Immigration and Foreigners Office is essential due to the rapid increase in foreign labor inflow, and I will actively work to ensure that a joint proposal is adopted in cooperation with the four local governments and the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation."

Goo Inmo, Governor of Geochang County and chair of the council, stated, "Through the administrative council, we will unite the will and aspirations of the four counties to successfully prepare for the joint hosting of the 2027 Gyeongnam Provincial Sports Festival and continue practical exchanges and mutual cooperation so that each region can develop and the quality of life for residents can be improved."