Since the last year’s 7th popular election, we have relentlessly sought to achieve themission ‘Vibrant Economic City, Happy Welfare Nam-gu.’ With a firm conviction for accomplishing said goal, we’ve endlessly interacted with residents, which has strengthened the basis of Nam-gu’s development.

Being in the second year, we will now work to achieve all promises we have made and all of the drafted business policies one by one.

My first task is to vitalize the economy, which was what our citizens earnestly wished for as well.

Including myself and the Nam-gu officialdom, we will do our best to build a vitalized economic city and recover regional economy.

No matter how difficult the journey might be, we will continuously put effort and keep our patience to accomplish Mabuchim-jim, a Korean word meaning ‘if you grind a stone long enough, the stone becomes jade’. We will create a comfortable and joyful Nam-gu, where the two-hundred and twenty thousand Nam-gu citizens can live their lives prosperously. To achieve its objective, previously drafted business policies need to be prosecuted even more emphatically than before.

On the other hand, we do have a piece of delightful news. The national industrial complex construction in the Daechon-dong area is in the final stage of its developmental plan and outstanding companies and institutions, including Gwangju branch of Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI); Korea Basic Science Institute(KBSI)’s Honam region laboratory; and LSIS Co., Ltd, the major company in the energy field, have confirmed their interest and affiliation with the area.

Recently, Nam-gualso has confirmation for the establishment of a redox flow battery certification center participating by Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) and Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute(KERI), the domestic energy research institutes; Korea Battery Research Association; Chonnam National University, and etc.

In addition, Nam-gu will not only be an economic city based on new energy industries, but will take a step further to make the underdeveloped Songam Industrial Complex into a key hub of fourth industrial revolution with cultural convergence by creating programs promoting endeavours such as future food of Gwangju and youth jobs through the energy and cultural industries.

Byung-nae KIM, the 9th head of Nam-gu office, Gwangju Metropolitan City

We would never neglect promoting ourselves asa cultural city full of diverse cultures and arts. Accompanied by the Asia Culture Center, we will continue to promote tourism resource projects in historical and cultural villages so that members of Yanglim-dong and Sajik-dong can become representative cultural villages in Gwangju. Additionally, we will develop theDaechon area as the main axis of tourism and culture by linking the Bitgoeul Rural Theme Park, the Craft Creation Village, and the Gossaumnori Training Center to create a cultural belt of sorts.

Moreover, we will create an even more affluent city with a combination of a prospering economy, promotion of traditional culture and the importance of education by providing forty-one schools with free meal services prepared with eco-friendly ingredients; improving youth health care, reducing parental burden and increasing the income of local farmers, etc.