Concentrating efforts on high-value petrochemical transition, future aviation cultivation, and Garorim Bay eco-park creation

The Chungnam Provincial Government is concentrating its administrative capabilities on transitioning Seosan’s petrochemical industry toward high-value sectors, fostering the future aviation industry, and expanding marine eco-tourism infrastructure to cultivate new growth engines and enhance the quality of life for its citizens.

On the 19th, Governor Park Soo-hyun held the 10th leg of ‘Chungnam Tong(通)haeng’ in Seosan, listening to the voices of citizens and local pending issues while sharing the direction of the 9th-elected provincial administration and Seosan’s development vision.

The Chungnam Tonghaeng event on this day proceeded in the order of a breakfast meeting with Mayor Lee Wan-seop, followed by a press briefing, a visit to the city council, and a conversation with citizens.

During the conversation with citizens, Governor Park entered to the tune of singer Park Ok-bun’s "Seosan Daesan Port International Cruise," answering questions and suggestions from citizens and discussing regional development plans.

Outside the venue, the province operated an "On-site Direct Petition Office with the Governor" to consult on and accept inconveniences and suggestions from daily life, ensuring that citizens who did not get a chance to speak during the conversation could also voice their opinions.

The received opinions will be systematically managed through review by the responsible departments regarding the processing procedures and results, and will be reflected in provincial administration when deemed necessary.

For the sustainable development of Seosan, the province is first pouring its efforts into overcoming the crisis in the petrochemical industry and transitioning toward eco-friendly, high-value sectors.

It plans to discover projects for new material design, process optimization, and testing/certification infrastructure utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technology, and respond so that they are reflected in government support measures.

By linking the comprehensive demonstration of high-function special polymers and the establishment of research and development (R&D) and demonstration infrastructure for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the province will enhance the competitiveness of the existing petrochemical industry and create new growth opportunities.

Efforts are also being gathered to establish institutional foundations for the designation and transition of the Daesan Petrochemical Complex into a national industrial complex.

The province plans to continuously petition the National Assembly and relevant ministries for the enactment of related laws and the necessity of support, while consulting to ensure systematic national-level industrial support and infrastructure expansion.

Future air mobility will be fostered as Seosan’s new flagship industry.

Utilizing the research and demonstration infrastructure in the Cheonsuman reclaimed land District B area, the province will promote the creation of a future air mobility cluster—including urban air mobility (UAM) and unmanned aerial vehicles—and grow it into an industrial hub where related companies and research institutes gather.

The province plans to link Seosan’s core component test evaluation infrastructure for green urban air mobility with Taean’s Defense Future Aviation Research Center, while strengthening industry-academia-research cooperation and professional talent cultivation through the Hansung University Glocal University project.

Garorim Bay will be fostered as an eco-tourism hub where the preservation of marine ecosystems and sustainable use harmonize.

The province is materializing the National Marine Ecological Park creation project utilizing Garorim Bay’s pristine ecological resources, such as spotted seals, gulfweed (gamtae), and pebble top shells, and is cooperating with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries with the goal of passing the preliminary feasibility study next year.

Individual projects such as the creation of mudflat ecological trails and ecological villages will also be carried out in parallel to strengthen ecosystem preservation and resident-participatory tourism infrastructure, while linking with the West Coast marine ecology, culture, and tourism belt to induce tourists' length of stay and expanded local consumption.

Daesan Port will be nurtured as an international cruise tourism hub.

Based on this year’s home-port and port-of-call cruise operation performances, the province will establish a comprehensive plan for nurturing the cruise industry, and prepare sustainable growth foundations by improving port infrastructure, developing tourism products, and devising cruise line attraction strategies.

Efforts are also being poured into expanding transportation networks to support Seosan’s industries, tourism, and citizens' living convenience.

For the Seosan Airport, the province will actively respond to necessary procedures such as re-investigation of feasibility and continue consultations with related agencies, gathering momentum to drive the project forward so as to enhance air service accessibility in the northwestern region of Chungnam.

The Jungbu-region East-West Cross-Country Railway will be jointly addressed with related local governments and the National Assembly for reflection in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan, and the Taean–Asan Expressway, which passed the private investment eligibility assessment last June, will be supported so that subsequent procedures proceed in a timely manner.

Along with this, in preparation for the designation of the Chungnam Free Economic Zone including Seosan Jigok District, the province plans to lay the foundation for attracting promising domestic and foreign companies, leading to cutting-edge industry cultivation and the creation of local jobs.

Governor Park stated, "We will join hands with Seosan City to ensure that enhancing Seosan’s industrial competitiveness and reviving the value of marine ecological resources, including Garorim Bay, leads to new growth opportunities, jobs for citizens, and local economic vitality."

Governor Park is scheduled to continue Chungnam Tonghaeng in Gyeryong on the 23rd, followed by Nonsan, Seocheon, Cheonan, and Yesan next month.

The conversations with residents of each city and county are broadcast live through the provincial government's official YouTube channel, "Chungnam TV," and provincial residents who cannot attend the site can deliver their opinions on regional pending issues and inconveniences in daily life through real-time comments.

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