South Gyeongsang Province Governor Park Wan-su held his first press conference since the launch of the ninth elected term on Wednesday, laying out his vision for provincial governance over the next four years.
The provincial government unveiled its "ninth elected-term governance agenda" at a meeting room in the provincial office that day. The head of the planning and coordination office presented the administration's operational direction and key priorities for the coming four years, after which Park outlined his ninth-term vision based on achievements from the eighth term and took questions from reporters.
"The four years of the eighth elected term were a time to restructure the fundamentals of South Gyeongsang's sluggish economy and lay the groundwork for a new leap forward," Park said. "Now is the moment to build on those results and further strengthen the province's future competitiveness."
He added that the administration would concentrate its efforts on reinforcing the competitiveness of key industries and securing new growth engines to meet the twin challenges of global economic uncertainty and regional depopulation. "I will keep my promises to the people of this province through governance that is principled and true to who I am," he said.
The ninth-term agenda unveiled that day is a four-year blueprint for realizing the vision of "a great leap forward for South Gyeongsang, together with its people." The administration has set economic capital, happiness capital and future leadership as its three operational directions, and will pursue four major provincial goals: robust industry and a vibrant livelihood; comprehensive welfare and healthy daily life; a culture to enjoy and a city worth staying in; and balanced growth through cooperation and a prosperous rural and fishing community.
Priority tasks include the AI transformation of manufacturing and the establishment of a global standing for small modular reactors, strengthening welfare to raise residents' quality of life, developing an advanced logistics hub linked to Arctic shipping routes, and a second round of public institution relocations combined with regional innovation initiatives.
In the industrial sector, the province plans to boost competitiveness through the AI transformation of manufacturing and the cultivation of strategic industries such as aerospace and small modular reactors, while expanding investment attraction and job creation to secure future growth engines. In the welfare sector, the administration will introduce a provincial residents' membership card, pursue life-cycle-tailored welfare services and expand public healthcare, with a focus on broadening the welfare foundation that residents can feel in their daily lives.
In culture and settlement, the province will work to make South Gyeongsang a place people choose to stay by developing marine leisure tourism along the South Sea coast, expanding regional cultural infrastructure, supporting youth housing needs and building out community sports facilities. Alongside this, the administration plans to accelerate balanced development and strengthen the competitiveness of rural and fishing communities through the construction of a metropolitan transport network and the promotion of smart agriculture and fisheries.
"I will communicate actively with the press and, without forgetting the sense of mission and responsibility I felt on the first day, deliver results that the people of this province can truly feel," Park said.
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