Investing KRW 300 Billion to Revitalize Fishing Villages by Establishing Strongholds

 

Selecting 25 new target sites for the 2025 Fishing Village Revitalization Project

 

 The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Kang Do-hyung) announced on Wednesday, February 26 the selection of 25 new target sites for the 2025 Fishing Village Revitalization Project.

 

 Implemented since 2023, the Fishing Village Revitalization Project will invest a total of KRW 3 trillion in 300 fishing villages to help them transform into vibrant areas. The project is divided into three types—Type 1 to create a platform for the fishing village economy, Type 2 to create a platform for fishing village living, and Type 3 to improve village safety infrastructure—depending on the size and characteristics of the fishing village.

 

 (Type 1: Creation of platform for fishing village economy) To improve population inflow and local economic vitality by promoting private investment to support fishing

 

 (Type 2: Creation of platform for fishing village life) To help in the settlement of influx of population by establishing living service bases and living convenience facilities by expanding social overhead capital (SOC) facilities (investing up to KRW 10 billion per location)

 

 (Type 3: Improvement of fishing village safety infrastructure) To improve living safety facilities such as expansion of fishing port facilities, to prevent safety accidents in small fishing ports and surrounding fishing villages (investing up to KRW 5 billion per location)

 

 A public contest was held from October to December last year targeting coastal local governments across the country to select this year’s target sites, and a total of 98 candidate sites from 41 cities, counties, and districts in 11 metropolitan cities and provinces have applied. A public contest was held from October to December last year targeting coastal local governments across the country to select this year’s target sites, and a total of 98 candidate sites from 41 cities, counties, and districts in 11 metropolitan cities and provinces have applied with MOF selecting 25 sites after a three-month evaluation.

 

 [Type ①] Project to create a fishing village economic platform

 

 Six locations were selected: Jangho Port in Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do; Gampo Port in Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do; Samcheonpo Port in Sacheon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do; Gyeokpo Port in Buan-gun, Jeonbuk-do; Janggo Port in Dangjin-si, Chungcheongnam-do; and Janghang Port in Seocheon-gun, Chungcheongnam-do. A government budget of KRW 30 billion will be invested per location over five years, and the private sector is also expected to invest about KRW 870 billion in capital. The project will develop a fisheries complex as well as tourism infrastructure in the selected fishing village into a regional fisheries and tourism hub.

 

 Jangho Port in Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do will construct a business complex and the Fishery Product Complex Center using the government budget, as well as resort condominiums with private investment to develop a marine leisure-type economic hub.

 

 The business complex will include a seafood and beverage (F&B) center as well as facilities to support startups and employment in the leisure and tourism sectors, with the Fishery Product Complex Center serving as fishery product processing facilities such as public HACCP facilities, raw material collection centers, and workplaces.

 

 Moreover, the private sector plans to invest KRW 190 billion to build a resort condominium based on Samcheok-si's rich tourism resources and cooperate actively with local communities to utilize seafood produced in Jangho Port, open pop-up stores, and give priority to hiring local residents.

 

 Jangho Port is expected to be transformed into a marine leisure-type fishing village economic hub by creating about 500 new jobs and increasing the population to 140,000 through the fishing village revitalization project.

 

 [Type ②] Project to create a fishing village living platform

 

 Five locations were selected: Bongpo Port in Gosung-gun, Gangwon-do; Seokbyeongri Port in Pohang-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do; Yeonhwa Living Zone in Tongyeong-si, Gyeongsangnam-do; Songdo Port in Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do; and Donggo Living Zone in Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do. A budget of KRW 10 billion per location will be invested over 4 years to improve the living services for fishing village residents, including culture and welfare.

 

 The Donggo Living Zone in Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do will have an anchor organization* residing in the area to identify programs to improve the living services needed in the area. Moreover, it plans to contribute to fishermen's comfortable and safe fishing activities by creating a base facility using the closed school site and facilities and improving fishing port facilities such as repairing damaged fishing port access roads.

 

 * Anchor organization: A private entity that works in the region to identify local resources, plan projects to attract and support populations, and build a foundation for delivering life services

 

 [Type ③] Project to improve fishing village safety infrastructure

 

 A total of 14 locations were selected including Jido Port in Ongjin-gun, Incheon-si, Songgyo Port in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, and Tosan Port in Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do. A government budget of KRW 5 billion will be invested per location over three years.

 

 In particular, Tosan Port in Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do plans to strengthen the safety of residents by reinforcing breakwaters to prevent damage from high waves and create a rest area where "hangers (female divers who catch clam, abalone, and seaweed without any special equipment)" can rest before and after work. Jido Port in Ongjin-gun, Incheon-si and Haedo Port in Boseong-gun, Jeollanam-do plan to reinforce outdated wharves to prepare for safety accidents involving passenger ships.

 

 MOF plans to operate an advisory group consisting of experts from various fields to provide on-site consulting and hold education and training sessions regularly for the relevant parties in project management to ensure that the project generates practical outcomes.

 

 “As the Fishing Village Revitalization Project is now in its third year, we will carry out the project with a sense of responsibility and urgency so that fishing village residents can tangibly feel the changes,” Minister Kang Do-hyung said.