On March 25, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province hosted a policy briefing at Seoul’s Jongno District Office for about 80 new employees.
The event opened with mutual pledges to the Hometown Love donation fund by Governor Kim Jin-tae and Jongno District Mayor Jeong Mun-heon. Governor Kim then used a PowerPoint presentation to introduce the Gangwon Living Resident Program and the "2026 Year to Visit Gangwon" campaign.
Introducing himself as an "easygoing" administrator, Kim highlighted three ties between Gangwon Province and Jongno District.
First, Mayor Jeong is from Sokcho, creating a personal connection to Gangwon. Second, both the province and Jongno District are building new government offices. Third, a recent popular film draws a historical link between the two regions: the scene where King Danjong parts from Queen Jeongsun is set on Yeongdo Bridge at Cheonggyecheon in Jongno, and afterward the king is said to have gone to Cheongryeongpo in Yeongwol, Gangwon.
In his policy presentation, Kim emphasized that Gangwon is closer than many people think. He shared a travel-time comparison from four locations—Chuncheon, Wonju, Hwaseong-Dongtan, and Incheon-Songdo—to COEX in Gangnam, noting that Chuncheon ranked first and Wonju second, underscoring the region’s perceived accessibility.
He introduced the Gangwon Living Resident Program as an online membership you can join without changing your address or using a physical card. Members receive discounts at 313 partner facilities across the province.
Since its launch in May last year, the program has surpassed 45,000 enrollees.
Kim also presented the "2026 Year to Visit Gangwon," pointing out that Gangwon has ranked No. 1 for overnight trips in the national travel survey for seven consecutive years and is the top choice nationwide for workers' summer vacations.
He said the province is encouraging longer stays through the "Get Benefits! Gangwon Travel" campaign, which offers up to KRW 40,000 (≈ $30) in Gangwon gift certificates reimbursed for lodging and tourism spending, and invited more people to visit.
Starting with this Seoul-area event, the province plans to expand on-site promotion in major cities and at expos nationwide, and will continue rolling out policies to build momentum for the Year to Visit Gangwon and attract more residents.
