Jeonnam Province announced on the 10th that it will focus its administrative efforts on developing islands and fishing villages to revitalize the fishing village economy throughout 2025.
The province will invest a total of 255.6 billion won in islands and fishing villages this year to promote 57 projects, including improving settlement conditions, developing fishing ports, and creating marine leisure infrastructure. Major projects include the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo, the Comprehensive Island Development Project, the K-Tourism Island Development Project, the Fishing Village Revitalization Project, the Fishing Port Maintenance Project, the Marine Leisure Tourism Hub Project, the Beach Operation Project, and the International Youth Island Workcamp.
Jeonnam Province plans to create attractive marine tourism destinations and vibrant residential spaces in islands and fishing villages based on its abundant resources, which account for more than 40% of the nation's fishing base. In particular, it has secured an additional 42.8 billion won for the successful hosting of the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo, which is expected to contribute to promoting the value of islands worldwide and accelerating the revitalization of marine tourism.
The province is also actively working to improve settlement conditions and promote tourism on the islands. Through the Comprehensive Island Development Project, it plans to invest 65.9 billion won in 79 islands in 9 cities and counties to expand island infrastructure such as joint work sites, breakwaters, and bridges connecting islands and land. It also plans to invest 21 billion won over four years until 2026 to intensively develop Heuksando Island in Shinan and Geomundo Island in Yeosu into attractive K-tourism islands.
The Island Day celebration, which is being held in Jeonnam for the first time in seven years, is also being prepared in a colorful way. Through the 6th Island Day celebration, which will be held in Wando from August 8th to 11th, the province plans to promote the value and importance of islands and prepare various programs for visitors to enjoy and experience the islands.
A total of 119 billion won will be invested to revitalize the fishing village economy and improve fishing port facilities. It plans to invest 89 billion won in the 'Fishing Village Revitalization Project', a follow-up project to the Fishing Village New Deal 300, to induce private investment and support the overall safety infrastructure to increase the economic vitality of fishing villages. It also plans to invest 29.9 billion won to promote the construction and maintenance of local fishing ports and expand essential infrastructure to protect the safety and property of fishermen.
Marine tourism infrastructure will also be continuously expanded. This year, an additional 16.5 billion won will be invested to develop the Yulpo Marine Complex Center in Boseong into the best marine leisure tourism hub in Korea, and 2.7 billion won will be invested to improve the beach environment.
Along with this, it plans to operate an education program to train residents as island experts and foster island coordinators, and to strengthen global promotion by holding the International Youth Island Workcamp for the 6th time this year.
Park Tae-geon, head of the Island and Marine Policy Division of Jeonnam Province, said, "We will drastically improve the settlement conditions of islands and fishing villages so that Jeonnam's islands and fishing villages can be reborn as world-class marine tourism destinations that people from all over the world seek."
Meanwhile, Jeonnam Province plans to request national support for the 'Outlying Island Hub Project' to improve the living infrastructure of five hub islands following the implementation of the Special Act on Outlying Islands, and to actively respond to the 1 trillion won complex marine leisure tourism city contest to become a global marine leisure tourism city.
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