Chungnam Launches 2nd University Student Tourism Promotion Team for the 'Year to Visit Chungnam'
Chungnam Province announced on the 8th that, ahead of the '2025–2026 Year to Visit Chungnam,' it has formed and begun operating the 2nd University Student Tourism Promotion Team to energize tourism promotion across the region.
The idea is simple and smart: let young people tell the story of Chungnam’s attractions with fresh, contemporary eyes.
Regional universities from Cheonan and Asan—Namseoul University, Sun Moon University, and Hoseo University—have joined forces for this initiative, each bringing its own creative spin.
Namseoul University is fielding an international promotion team led by Professor Bae Seong-hwa, with foreign exchange students forming the core of the group.
Each team will create all content in its members’ native languages to capture authentic emotional and cultural nuances unique to target audiences.
Seen through the international students’ perspectives, Chungnam’s charm will feel both familiar and persuasive to global viewers, helping to build broader international interest.
Sun Moon University will act as a 'global ambassador' for Chungnam, leveraging its base of more than 3,000 international students to take the province’s appeal beyond Korea.
Led by Professor Kim Moon-kyung, the university will link the aviation service program’s professional training with promotion activities, preparing students with global sensibilities and practical skills to showcase Chungnam from a foreign visitor’s viewpoint.
Hoseo University, led by Professor Kim Byung-chul of the Convergence Department, returns for a second year to ensure continuity and deepen expertise.
Through the end of the year, these three university teams will produce short-form videos and social media content tailored to MZ-generation trends—bringing major tourist sites and local festivals to life and spreading the value of Chungnam tourism.
A provincial official said, “With international students on board, this promotion team will be a powerful engine to present Chungnam’s tourism charms to the world. Using local universities’ creativity and passion, we’ll reframe Chungnam as a K-tourism must-see for global travelers.”
On April 1 the province also signed a partnership agreement with Sun Moon University’s RISE Center to strengthen public-private-academic collaboration and boost universities’ contributions to local development in this era of regional empowerment.
Province Hosts Meeting with Prime Minister’s Office Life-Saving Task Force and Faith Leaders
Chungnam Province is partnering with government agencies and religious groups to expand suicide prevention efforts and promote a culture that respects life.
On the 8th, the province convened a meeting in the main conference room of the provincial government with the Prime Minister’s Office Interagency Suicide Prevention Task Force to discuss ways religious organizations can help spread life-affirming messages.
Representatives from the province’s four major faiths attended, including Ven. Muju of Magoksa Temple (Jogye Order), Ven. Gobu of Sudeoksa, Father Heo Gwon-beom of the Daejeon Catholic Diocese, Im Dong-jin from the Won-Buddhist Daejeon·Chungnam Diocese, and Jang Dong-yoon of the Anglican Daejeon·Chungnam Diocese. The agenda covered policy direction, proposals for legal and institutional improvements, and suicide-prevention outreach.
Participants focused on proactive responses to suicide, broadening life-respecting awareness across society, and expanding cooperation between local governments and religious leaders—including volunteer participation by clergy in prevention efforts.
Key measures discussed include providing suicide-prevention education and information during religious ceremonies, collaborating on stickers warning against charcoal briquette use, and distributing promotional materials at religious facilities and other high-traffic public venues.
Since 2019, the province has been holding meetings with religious groups and running joint 'Love Life' campaigns to prevent suicide.
Starting in 2022, Chungnam expanded outreach by designating a Love Life prayer week and hosting Love Life walking events for religious communities. That same year, five major religious organizations issued a joint declaration and staged life-respecting performances at a Love Life cultural festival to reaffirm their commitment.
Seong Man-je, director of the Health and Welfare Bureau, said, “This meeting solidified cooperation among the government, local authorities, and religious groups. I hope everyone continues their efforts to prevent suicide and promote a culture that values life from their respective positions.”
'2026 Chungcheongnam-do Foreign Investment Attraction Strategy' Joint Briefing Held
Chungnam Province pledged on the 8th to hold its position as the top non-capital region for attracting foreign direct investment, gathering investment officers from all 15 cities and counties.
The province plans to prioritize attracting future-focused industries and building the investment infrastructure needed to make Chungnam one of the most business-friendly places in Korea.
On the 8th, the province held the '2026 Chungcheongnam-do Foreign Investment Attraction Strategy Joint Briefing' at the Taean Marine Healing Center with KOTRA’s Comprehensive Administrative Support Center to sharpen the skills of provincial and municipal investment staff amid rapidly changing global economic conditions.
About 50 officials attended from municipal governments, KOTRA, and the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation. The program included industry-focused strategy talks, discussions, case presentations, and Q&A.
Speakers shared concrete plans to complete supply chains around strategic industries like semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and future mobility.
The briefing also introduced practical incentive programs—such as operational guidelines for cash-support measures—that local officers can apply immediately.
Attendees heard success stories from other regions and international investment cases, then discussed tailored strategies to create investment environments that reflect each locality’s strengths.
Based on the briefing’s feedback, the province will create step-by-step foreign investment roadmaps tied to each city and county’s specialty industries and will pursue aggressive outreach, including overseas investment briefings later this year.
Yoon Ju-young, director of Investment and Trade Policy, said, “Even amid global economic uncertainty, our close cooperation with cities, counties, and partner agencies helped us stay No. 1 outside the capital region. We’ll keep focusing administrative resources on bold incentives and regulatory reforms to make Chungnam the best place to do business and secure future growth engines.”
Workshop Boosts Drone Operations Skills for Disaster and Safety Officials
Chungnam Province held the '2026 Drone Operations Capacity-Building Workshop' on the 8th in the Naepo New Town area for provincial and municipal drone officers.
The event aimed to strengthen cooperation between municipalities and improve practical drone-operating skills for real-world use.
This year’s program moved beyond theory into hands-on field training, focusing on live drone video transmission and broadcast checks to boost real-world effectiveness.
Participants handled every step themselves—from equipment inspections and flight operations to video transmission and integrating with centralized control systems—testing real-time protocols while simulating disaster and safety responses.
The workshop also provided a forum to share operational cases and challenges across municipalities and to discuss collaborative drone-administration practices that can lead to meaningful improvements.
Through events like the nationwide Drone Festa, demonstration projects, and drone-park development, the province aims to strengthen public-sector drone capabilities and build a field-centered drone administration system.
Im Taek-bin, director of Land Management, said, “This workshop checked operational skills officials can immediately apply in real disaster responses. We will keep collaborating closely with municipalities to expand drone-enabled public services.”
Chungnam Climate and Environment Education Center Kicks Off Carbon-Neutral Action Programs
The center will run a participatory, experience-based year-round environmental education program at its experience center from April 13 through October 31.
Designed to go beyond lectures, the program emphasizes direct participation so people can better understand climate and environmental issues and turn that understanding into everyday habits.
Sessions run Monday through Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., with about 15 participants per session to maximize engagement.
On Saturdays, a self-guided 'Environmental Crisis Clock' stamp tour will encourage family participation.
Each session includes orientation and safety briefings, linked experience-center activities, and wrap-up feedback, with hands-on activities connected to exhibits.
Main offerings include 'Following the Carbon Footprint,' where participants experience carbon-neutral practices; 'Green Bingo,' a game teaching everyday eco-friendly actions; and a 'Stamp Tour (Environmental Crisis Clock)' to raise awareness of environmental risks.
Programs use QR-code missions, activity booths, and interactive games so visitors can absorb lessons naturally.
The center plans to increase facility use and strengthen its role as a regional hub for environmental education through these initiatives.
Director Baek Kyung-ryeol said, “We’ll keep expanding hands-on, participatory programs to raise awareness of the climate crisis and encourage everyday action.”
Tour Gongju Without a Car—On-Demand Tourist Bus Arrives
Visiting Gongju just got easier. Tourists can now get around key sites like Gongsanseong Fortress, the Tomb of King Muryeong, and the National Gongju Museum without a car.
The Chungnam Culture & Tourism Foundation announced on the 8th that the Gongju Tourist DRT (demand-responsive transport)—where riders can request pickups wherever they are—will begin operating in Gongju after launching in Buyeo.
This service is part of the 'Super-Regional Tourism Transport Innovation Pilot,' a collaboration among the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korea Tourism Organization, Chungcheongnam-do, Chungcheongbuk-do, and the Chungbuk Culture Foundation, with Gongju City and Buyeo County. The goal is to improve tourist mobility across the Chungcheong region. Since December, the circular C-Tour bus linking Cheongju Airport with Gongju and Buyeo has carried about 5,000 passengers.
Unlike fixed-route buses, the Gongju Tourist DRT lets tourists request a vehicle via a dedicated app or call center. The service then picks riders up at the nearest stop and takes them to their destinations, offering a customized tourism transport option.
The Gongju DRT connects seven major hubs: Gongju Intercity Bus Terminal, Geumgang New Branch Park, Gongsanseong Fortress, the Tomb of King Muryeong, the National Gongju Museum and Gongju Hanok Village, Gongju’s royal-city sites (Nateju Flower Literature Museum and Jemincheon), and Gongju KTX Station. That makes it easy for first-time visitors to move between highlights and enjoy the city without renting a car.
Booking is simple: use the dedicated app 'Shirkle' to select origin, destination, and party size, or call the dispatch center at 1533-0777.
Service runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and fares are comparable to a city bus—1,500 KRW (approximately 1.13 USD) for adults—so it’s affordable.
The Gongju DRT complements the C-Tour bus (Cheongju Airport–Osong Station–Gongju–Buyeo). While the C-Tour handles regional travel, the Gongju DRT connects the city’s main attractions at a local level.
Arriving via Cheongju International Airport or Osong Station, tourists can take the C-Tour bus to Gongju and then use the Gongju DRT to explore the city’s top sites with ease.
With regional and local transport now linked, Gongju moves from 'a destination best reached by car' to 'a place you can fully enjoy without a car,' which should boost visitor stays, local businesses, and tourism spending.
[Schedule]
Governor Kim Tae-hum will attend the 3rd plenary session of the 365th provincial council extraordinary meeting at the provincial council chamber at 10 a.m. on the 9th.
