Governor Woo Sangho Holds First Official Meeting with 18 Mayors and County Heads: “We Will Address Key Issues Together Every Half-Year”

Gangwon Province Holds First Meeting of 9th Term with Mayors and County Heads
Support Requested for 18 Cities and Counties’ Key Projects
Launching Communication and Cooperation Between Provincial and Local Governments
Governor Woo Listens to Local Issues, Expresses Commitment to Joint Development Through Regular Dialogue

Woo Sangho, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, sat down for the first time since the launch of the 9th term administration with the leaders of all 18 cities and counties in the province. The provincial government and local governments agreed to share key regional issues and to respond jointly through regular communication.

Woo Sangho, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, and 18 mayors and county heads from the province are taking a commemorative photo at the "7th 9th Term Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Governor-Mayor and County Head Meeting" held at Sejong Hotel in Chuncheon on the afternoon of the 7th. Provided by Gangwon Province

On the afternoon of the 7th, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province held the "9th Term Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Governor - Mayors and County Heads Meeting" at the Sejong Hotel in Chuncheon, attended by Governor Woo and mayors and county heads of the 18 cities and counties in the province.

This meeting served as the first official introduction for the heads of the 9th term administrations. It was organized to facilitate sharing of key regional projects and issues among the provincial and municipal governments and to establish a cooperative framework.

Governor Woo stated at the meeting, "For the development of Gangwon Province, the provincial and municipal governments must communicate frequently," proposing, "Let’s meet on a regular basis at least once every half-year."

Kim Dongil, Chairman of the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Mayors and County Heads Association and County Governor of Cheorwon, also emphasized the significance of the meeting and requested to establish a forum for the province, cities, and counties to engage in ongoing dialogue on key issues.

The main focus of the meeting was the announcement of current issues by the 18 cities and counties. Mayors and county heads personally outlined the key projects they plan to prioritize during the 9th term and requested support at the provincial level.

Chuncheon presented the construction of a multi-purpose gymnasium as its priority, Wonju aims to attract an advanced medical complex, and Gangneung emphasized the successful hosting of the "2026 Gangneung ITS World Congress."

Donghae set the transition to AI-driven transformation based on an AI data center campus as a major agenda item, Taebaek pushed for the inclusion of the Yeongwol-Samcheok expressway branch, and Sokcho called for the second phase of public institution relocations. Samcheok requested the attraction of an advanced data center linked to existing power plants.

There were also continuous calls for expanding transportation networks and establishing growth foundations. Hongcheon requested the construction of the Yongmun-Hongcheon metropolitan railway, Jeongseon urged inclusion of the KTX Pyeongchang-Jeongseon line in the 5th national rail network plan, and Goseong highlighted connecting Sokcho-Goseong via the Donghae Expressway as a core issue.

Yeongwol requested the establishment of a national resource security key minerals cluster, Cheorwon sought provincial support to bring in a national forest healing center in the DMZ area, Inje proposed the creation of a large-scale tourism complex in Jeongja-ri, and Yangyang called for active provincial involvement in the installation of the Seoraksan Osaek cable car.

Hoengseong proposed a joint response for improving water management systems in Wonju and Hoengseong, while Pyeongchang advocated for the construction of a pedestrian bridge over the Pyeongchang River. Hwacheon suggested the development of a system to utilize idle state- and publicly-owned land for resident income-based renewable energy projects, and Yanggu proposed transferring the Baekdu Scientific Combat Training Center.

Many of the issues raised included key campaign pledges that the 9th term mayors and county heads plan to focus on during their tenure.

Gangwon Province announced that this meeting would not be a one-time event but that it would continuously manage local issues from each city and county. The province will create an "issue management card" for every locality to track progress and devise concrete measures to support each project.

Shim Wonseop, Director of Administration for Gangwon Province, stated, "We will thoroughly review the proposed projects and, throughout the term of the 9th administration, facilitate continuous sharing of key issues between the province and local governments, while developing practical support measures."

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