Jeongeup City to Develop Naejangho Area into a Four-Season Integrated Tourist Destination

On-site inspection by officials from the National Assembly, local governments, the national park authority, and the Korea Rural Community Corporation

On the 20th, officials from six key institutions, including the National Assembly and local governments, gathered to inspect major project sites and discuss cooperation measures, as part of Jeongeup City's efforts to overcome the limitations of Naejangsan tourism, which is concentrated in the autumn, and to develop the area around Naejangho into a four-season integrated tourist destination.

The on-site visit, which began at 10 a.m. that day in the Naejangho area, was attended by Yoon Junbyung, a National Assembly member from the Democratic Party of Korea (Jeongeup and Gochang in North Jeolla Province), Jeongeup Mayor Lee Haksoo, North Jeolla Special Self-Governing Province Assembly member Yeom Youngsun, Jeongeup City Council Chair Park Il, Naejangsan National Park Office Director Han Kyungdong, and Korea Rural Community Corporation Jeongeup Branch Director Park Taejoon. They conducted a comprehensive review of the progress of various projects being promoted to turn the Naejangho area into a new growth engine for Jeongeup City and shared a future tourism blueprint.

Jeongeup City is aiming to develop the Naejangho area into a four-season integrated tourist destination. On the 20th, officials from six key institutions, including the National Assembly and local governments, inspected the major project sites. Photo provided by Jeongeup City.

The future vision that Jeongeup City has for the Naejangho area goes beyond a simple list of individual projects and aims to build an integrated tourism ecosystem that encompasses healing, experiential activities, sports, and accessibility. The city plans to strengthen healing tourism infrastructure centered on the lake and waterfront spaces and to organically connect sports and leisure facilities that can be used throughout all four seasons. Through this, the city intends to overcome the fundamental limitation of existing Naejangsan tourism, in which visitors are concentrated in specific seasons. In particular, as this project has been designated as a regional pledge project of the Lee Jaemyung administration, expectations within the local community for its successful realization have risen even higher.

This on-site inspection is itself being regarded as a meaningful achievement, as it brought together all the key institutions closely related to the development of Naejangho, including the National Assembly, local governments, the national park authority, and the Korea Rural Community Corporation. Given the nature of projects carried out within a national park area, close cooperation among institutions is essential, and the participants agreed to communicate and collaborate actively going forward to ensure smooth project implementation.

Yoon Junbyung, a National Assembly member from the Democratic Party of Korea (Jeongeup and Gochang in North Jeolla Province), stated, "I will spare no effort in providing support so that the Naejangho area can establish itself as a core tourism hub leading Jeongeup's future."

Jeongeup Mayor Lee Haksoo also emphasized, "Today's on-site visit is the first step toward opening a new era for Naejangho," adding, "Jeongeup City will work together with relevant institutions to develop the Naejangho area into one of Korea's leading tourist destinations, where people visit, stay, and find healing all year round, going beyond its current status as a famous autumn foliage spot."