On the 10th, South Chungcheong Province (Chungnam) held a progress briefing on its eighth-term campaign pledges in the provincial government's main conference room. The meeting reviewed promises made to residents and aimed to raise the completion level of pledge projects as the administration approaches the end of its term.
Deputy Governor Hong Jong-wan presided over the session, joined by the policy chief aide, the policy planning director, and the division and bureau chiefs responsible for the pledge projects. The agenda included reports on pledge status, department-level progress updates, and discussion sessions to solicit feedback.
Participants reviewed inspection findings and each department’s progress. The discussion centered on sustaining policy outcomes and strengthening management measures to ensure steady implementation of the pledged initiatives.
Of the 131 pledges in the eighth-term program, 116 have been completed. Notable accomplishments include establishing the Garorim Bay National Marine Ecological Park; opening child protection centers in Gongju and Seosan; introducing a retirement-age system for elderly retired farmers; and launching a public postpartum care center in the southern region (Nonsan).
This year, the province's pledge implementation rate rose by 26.7 percentage points from a year earlier, reaching 88.5%.
The Korea Manifesto Practice Headquarters has rated the province SA—the highest grade—in its pledge-implementation evaluations for three consecutive years. Based on the findings presented at this briefing, the provincial government plans to strengthen its management system and pursue a fourth straight SA rating.
Deputy Governor Hong said, \"Pledges are not valuable merely because they are completed. Their true worth lies in when residents can actually feel the change and when policies produce lasting effects. With the eighth-term administration nearing its close, we will concentrate our remaining efforts to turn our work into tangible results that residents can perceive.\"
Reporter Ahn Su-min smahn@etnews.com
