Mayor Kang Sung-hwi Presents Vision for Mokpo as the East Asian Marine Hub in Ninth Administration Blueprint

Announcement of Five Key Administrative Directions

Realizing an Era of One Million Living Population

Fostering Marine and AI Future Industries, Building a Year-Round Tourism City and Integrated Care System

Leaping Forward as the Administrative, Economic, and Industrial Hub of the Southwest Region

Kang Sung-hwi, Mayor of Mokpo under the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, presented the administration’s vision for the ninth popularly elected term as “A Living Population of One Million, Mokpo as the East Asian Marine Hub,” unveiling a policy blueprint for the next four years.

Gang Seong-hwi, mayor of Mokpo, delivering the policy speech at the Mokpo City Council. Photo by Mokpo City

During the 406th extraordinary session of the Mokpo City Council held on July 13, Mayor Kang delivered his inaugural policy speech, outlining the ninth administration’s direction. He addressed overcoming population decline and local economic stagnation, as well as securing new engines for future growth.

He stated, “What citizens want is for Mokpo to regain its vitality and move toward a greater future. The entire capacity of the ninth administration will focus on creating changes and results that citizens can feel in their daily lives.”

He added, “The executive branch and the council are partners sharing the common goal of citizen happiness and Mokpo’s development. Based on communication and cooperation, we will run an administration that responds to citizens’ expectations with tangible results.”

For the ninth term, Mokpo City will pursue its agenda centered on five key directions: a vibrant local economy, the rise of future industries, a cultural and tourism renaissance, practical welfare citizens can feel, and highly efficient, innovative administration.

First, the city will place the recovery of the local economy as its top priority. Initiatives include expanding the Mokpo Love Gift Certificate, revitalizing the public delivery app, and fostering alleyway-style shopping districts to energize local commerce. The city will also focus on improving residential conditions by supporting quality job creation through increased youth entrepreneurship and corporate investment, and by establishing an AI-based integrated vacant house management system to regenerate empty homes as start-up and cultural spaces.

As future growth strategies, Mokpo will nurture the marine and AI sectors as core industries. Plans include developing Mokpo New Port as a global offshore wind power hub, promoting the eco-friendly shipbuilding industry, ship MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations), and establishing an RE100 industrial complex. At the same time, the city will work to enhance the international logistics capabilities of Mokpo Port, develop seafood export complexes, and strengthen the competitiveness of the K-Gim industry through an international dried seaweed exchange.

In tourism, Mokpo aims to become a year-round destination by connecting the sea and islands, gastronomy, modern history, and the arts. The city will link international conferences and the tourism industry through the Namhang International MICE Cluster, bolster culinary tourism using Mokpo’s signature “9 Delicacies” and K-Gim, and promote island and night tourism to increase visitors’ length of stay.

In welfare, Mokpo will establish an integrated care system called “Mokpo Care 365,” linking childbirth, childcare, education, healthcare, and welfare services. The city will also expand citizen-focused policies, such as attracting a national medical school and university hospital, resolving daily inconveniences, increasing sports and green spaces, and strengthening climate disaster response.

Administrative innovation is another major focus. Mokpo plans to institutionalize citizen participation by establishing a citizen sovereignty body, expand AI-based smart administration, foster a results-oriented organizational culture, reform fiscal management, and secure national funds to lay the foundation for sustainable growth.

In particular, Mokpo will vigorously pursue the “One Hundred Thousand Ten Project,” aiming for 10,000 foreign residents, a living population of one million, and 10 million tourists. The city also plans to grow into the administrative, economic, and industrial center of the southwestern region by designating the Muan Peninsula as a metropolitan living zone and expanding metropolitan transportation networks.

Mayor Kang Sung-hwi stated, “Mokpo is a city where citizens have always united to open new paths during difficult times. In the ninth administration, we will ensure that citizens, the council, and public officials together create changes that citizens can truly experience.”

He further emphasized, “We will put citizens’ lives at the center of every policy and make sure that, in four years, Mokpo is recognized as having truly delivered results, achieving the vision of ‘A Living Population of One Million, Mokpo as the East Asian Marine Hub.’”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.