[Provided by Chilgok-gun]
[Provided by Chilgok-gun]

Chilgok-gun in North Gyeongsang Province won the excellence award in the regional jobs target disclosure category at the 2026 National Local Government Jobs Competition, held Wednesday at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, earning a commendation from the minister of employment and labor.

The county has focused on building a sustainable employment base — rather than simply creating short-term jobs — by linking industrial, youth, care and settlement policies to employment in response to challenges including a manufacturing-heavy industrial structure, rural aging and youth outmigration.

Key achievements include the creation of 594 private-sector jobs through corporate investment attraction, the strengthening of private employment infrastructure through industrial complex development and the upgrading of existing complexes, and the laying of groundwork for industrial transformation through future industries such as advanced agricultural machinery and agtech.

The county also built a support system connecting youth employment and entrepreneurship with housing, self-reliance and local settlement, while pursuing employment policies tailored to different demographic groups — including linking care services to women's employment and long-term job retention.

Alongside this, the county worked to establish a virtuous cycle linking the opening of the Daegyeong Line with local tourism resources and the revitalization of traditional markets and neighborhood commercial districts, drawing in lifestyle-population visitors and expanding local consumption to drive regional economic vitality and job creation.

Chilgok-gun plans to accelerate future growth engines — including the development of the Buksam Opyeong Industrial Complex, a global special zone and projects related to advanced agricultural machinery — and channel those efforts into attracting businesses, strengthening industrial competitiveness and generating quality jobs.

"Building on this award, we will work harder to steadily develop future growth engines such as the Buksam Opyeong Industrial Complex, the global special zone and the advanced agricultural machinery industry, so that businesses can grow and young people can find quality jobs worth staying for," said Kim Jae-wook, Chilgok-gun county chief.


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com