Presents region-specific development strategies — marine healing and offshore wind — and discusses post-integration cooperation with roughly 250 residents
Gwangju Metropolitan City convened a meeting in Wando County to discuss cooperative development plans following the Gwangju–Jeonnam integration.
Gwangju hosted the 'Gwangju–Jeonnam Integration: Wando County Coexistence Talk' at the Wando Living Culture Center on the 10th to share integration progress and development strategies with local residents. The event was the 13th stop in a series of coexistence talks touring cities and counties across Jeonnam.
About 250 people attended, including Gwangju Mayor Kang Ki-jung, Wando County Mayor Shin Woo-cheol, Wando County Council Chair Kim Yang-hoon, leaders of local institutions and civic groups, and community residents.
The program opened with a video explaining the background of the integration. Officials then reviewed the integration's progress, outlined key provisions of the special law, presented strategies for regional cooperative development, and answered questions from residents.
Gwangju outlined development directions for Wando County. Proposals included expanding wellness tourism by linking Gwangju's medical infrastructure with Wando's marine healing resources; creating a coexistence model that pairs offshore wind development with sustainable fishing; and promoting food-tech and smart-fisheries applications.
During the Q&A, participants urged stronger policies to revitalize marine healing tourism and to boost consumption of locally produced seafood.
Mayor Kang Ki-jung said, "If we brand Wando's marine and cultural assets, the fisheries sector can evolve into a higher-value industry. We will use integration as an opportunity to expand education, jobs, healthcare, and cultural infrastructure so that people choose to stay."
Gwangju said it will continue the coexistence talks and keep developing cooperative strategies with the Jeonnam region.
Gwangju = Reporter Jo Jae-ho (samdady@viva100.com)
