100 Days of the Ninth Hampyeong Administration: Accelerating Future Industries and Agricultural Competitiveness

Four Major Policy Directives Finalized, 74 Pledges Across Five Sectors
Fostering Future Industries at Bitgreen National Industrial Complex with RE100

The 9th civilian administration of Hampyeong County, which has championed a vision of the "Hampyeong Transformation," marked its 100th day in office by finalizing implementation plans for 74 pledges across five key sectors. The administration has launched an aggressive drive for overall innovation in county governance.

Nam-oh Lee, Governor of Hampyeong County, immediately after taking office, clarified core agenda items aimed at stabilizing livelihoods and securing future growth engines. These included providing a 500,000 won livelihood recovery grant to all county residents, pursuing the expansion of the Bitgreen Industrial Complex as an RE100 industrial site, and fostering smart agriculture.

Nam-oh Lee, Hampyeong County Governor, is inspecting flood-prone areas during the rainy season. Provided by Hampyeong County

According to Hampyeong County on October 5, with the start of the 9th civilian administration, the county established its administrative objectives and four key policies under the banner of “Renew Hampyeong, Benefit Residents” and prepared implementation plans for 74 pledges across five fields. The pledges underwent practical and transition team reviews, followed by a public pledge review committee that incorporates resident opinions. The county also identified strategies tailored to regional strengths and discovered 82 key new projects set for 2027.

The county has begun laying the groundwork to foster the Bitgreen National Industrial Complex as a future industry hub centered on RE100.

On July 1, at the inauguration of the 9th civilian governor, Governor Lee signed a business agreement with the Korea RE100 Committee and has since been working to designate and expand Bitgreen as an RE100 industrial complex. In August, the “Hampyeong Transformation Future Economy Task Force” was launched to establish a development framework for new industries such as AI semiconductors and future vehicles.

The county also expanded interregional industrial cooperation by jointly responding to the planned expansion of Bitgreen with Gwangsan district of the Gwangju–Jeonnam Integrated Special City, and by strengthening cooperation in semiconductors and core materials, parts, and equipment (“So-bu-jang”) industries with Yongin City.

Looking ahead, the county plans to further expand Bitgreen Industrial Complex by an additional 1 million pyeong, attract companies in AI, semiconductors, and future automobile sectors, and establish a 1GW-class renewable energy production and stable power supply system.

Last September, in the run-up to the Chuseok holiday, the county also implemented fiscal measures to revitalize the local economy and help restore residents’ livelihoods.

The county allocated a total supplementary budget of 627.2 billion won as its first revised budget under the 9th administration, and provided a 500,000 won livelihood recovery grant per resident. The primary focus was on boosting local consumption and alleviating management burdens for small business owners and the self-employed, in efforts to revive the stagnant regional economy.

The county is also strengthening on-site, communication-focused administration that listens to the voices of residents. From August 20 to September 4, Governor Lee conducted on-site communication in 9 towns and townships, collecting feedback on regional issues and resident suggestions. A total of 66 suggestions were received and, after review by relevant departments, will be addressed within this year.

The county is also making every effort at intergovernmental cooperation to resolve local issues and secure national funding. Governor Lee visited the National Assembly twice in July and September, submitting a total of 14 major agenda items—six during the first visit and eight in the second.

Additionally, the governor met with the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and raised two key regional issues; attended an on-site meeting with Assemblyman Seonwon Park; and held consultations with Lee Seung-don, Administrator of the Rural Development Administration, to seek cooperation for regional issues and major project implementation.

Governor Lee also discussed four education-related issues, including the adoption of a bidirectional joint school district system, with Kim Dae-jung, Superintendent of Education of Gwangju-Jeonnam Special City. Measures for cooperation to establish a four-year Dream Life University Hampyeong Campus and to promote lifelong learning for residents were discussed with Honam University.

Furthermore, to counter the challenges of population decline and the risk of regional extinction, Governor Lee is laying the foundation to build a “Hampyeong-style basic society” that links income, care, residential stability, and education.

The county is advancing a range of initiatives including the Hampyeong basic income, livelihood recovery grants, support for youth and newlyweds, integrated village-centered care, childcare support, expanded home and night-time medical services, and others.

In the housing sector, measures such as half-price housing, the 10,000-won housing program, and transportation support for disadvantaged areas are under review, while policies such as AI digital vouchers for residents and full university tuition coverage will be expanded in the area of education.

In agriculture, the focus is on smart farming and enhancing the competitiveness of livestock farming. The county will build an RE100 vertical smart farm testbed, expand dissemination of smart farms for regional specialty crops such as summer strawberries and figs, and promote a transition in agricultural production methods by utilizing Jeonnam-type smart farms and ICT convergence facilities.

Hampyeong Cheonji Hanwoo aims to become a national hub for Hanwoo cattle by building a genetic resources and breeding center and collaborating on research and development with the Rural Development Administration. At the same time, the county plans to simultaneously improve productivity and environmental concerns through the construction of AI- and ICT-based smart livestock infrastructure.

Hampyeong, known as the “Land of Festivals,” is shifting its tourism policy from a single-event, visitor-count focus to one that emphasizes increased duration of stay and greater local spending.

The county will link Expo Park, Hampyeongcheon, and the downtown commercial district, and enhance stay-type tourism by expanding public camping grounds like Nasan River campground. Hampyeongman and Dolmeori Beach will be developed as marine healing and wellness tourism centers.

The county also aims to connect accommodation, food, experiential, and night tourism offerings, and will use initiatives such as half-price travel, accommodation discounts, and tourism coupons to stimulate local spending by visitors.

Initiatives will also be promoted to expand sports and cultural facilities. Hampyeong Comprehensive Sports Town will be developed as a regional sports hub, and sports tourism infrastructure for baseball and park golf will be enhanced. Hampyeong Park Golf Course will be expanded from 36 holes to 54 holes, and an 18-hole Sonbul Park Golf Course is also planned.

In the area of social welfare, the county will pursue integrated care, childcare, and medical services to ensure stable living conditions and improve the residential environment for residents.

Over the first 100 days since the launch of the 9th administration, the county established the basic framework for governance and laid the foundations for implementing major agenda items.

Going forward, core efforts will focus on designating Bitgreen Industrial Complex as an RE100 semiconductor hub and expanding it by an additional 1 million pyeong, attracting future industry firms, strengthening policies for youth, education, and settlement, expanding smart agriculture, and building stay-type tourism infrastructure to enhance project outcomes.

Governor Nam-oh Lee stated, “While the past 100 days have been about establishing the direction for the 9th civilian administration, the time has now come for us to deliver concrete results for our residents. I will continue to listen to our residents on the ground and directly seek solutions from the central government and relevant agencies for critical projects, driving change and growth in Hampyeong.”

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