Dangjin's Janggo Port named preliminary 'national hub fishing port' by Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries; 303.8 billion won to be invested by 2031
South Chungcheong Province has drawn up a blueprint for a sustainable fishing village initiative, aiming to build a flagship West Sea fisheries economic platform that integrates production, advanced processing, wide-area retail and marine tourism.
The provincial government announced Monday that Janggo Port in Dangjin has been selected as a preliminary site in the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' 2026 national hub fishing port development project competition.
The competition is designed to move away from the fragmented, small-scale investment that has characterized national fishing port development, instead channeling concentrated funding from the central government, local authorities and the private sector to build regional fisheries logistics hubs that combine fish collection, processing, retail, consumption and tourism functions.
If Janggo Port is confirmed as a national hub fishing port, a total of 303.8 billion won — covering the national fishing port development project as well as linked and ancillary projects — is set to be invested by 2031.
The national fishing port development project will receive a total of 49 billion won in fully state-funded investment, allocated across dredging inside the port and construction of a dredged-soil disposal site at 24.9 billion won, a marine observation tower at 7.2 billion won, a multipurpose outdoor stand complex at 1.5 billion won, a waterfront plaza at 1.6 billion won, and a fishing gear warehouse at 900 million won.
Linked projects for the hinterland site behind the hub port — including the development of a smart aquaculture complex, a smart aquaculture cluster, a fishery food complex, a fish auction facility and a fishing village revitalization project — are currently in separate planning stages. The hub port designation is expected to make them priority candidates for central government funding support from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
Once the project is complete, the province expects it to generate 1.73 trillion won in production inducement and 679.9 billion won in added value, while creating 300 new jobs. Officials also anticipate broader benefits including renewed vitality for fishing communities and a check on the depopulation of rural coastal villages through the creation of sustainable fishing settlements.
"The selection as a hub fishing port was made possible because local politicians, residents and Dangjin city all joined forces to respond to the competition," said Jang Min-gyu, head of the South Chungcheong Province fisheries resources division. "We will successfully advance the flagship West Sea fisheries economic platform and realize fishing villages where people want to live."
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
