14 billion won in state funding secured through 2030
Efforts to revitalize fishing villages and ports in Incheon — communities facing depopulation and rapid aging — are set to accelerate.
The Incheon city government announced Monday that two sites had been selected in the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' 2027 Fishing Village New Deal 3.0 competition, securing a total of 14 billion won ($10.3 million) in state funding.
The two designated areas are the Bunori and Miruji port zone in Ganghwa-gun and the Dou and Soyari port zone in Ongjin-gun.
Each site will receive up to 10 billion won in project funding, including 7 billion won in state grants.
The city plans to begin drawing up a master plan in 2027 and complete phased improvement work by 2030.
The project focuses on improving living conditions for residents and expanding fishery infrastructure.
At the Bunori and Miruji port zone in Ganghwa-gun, a "fishing village station" — a community hub aimed at boosting resident welfare and generating supplementary income — will be built alongside a foot-washing facility. A floating pier and a shared workspace will also be added to raise fishing productivity.
In Ongjin-gun's Dou and Soyari port zone, a hub-type fishing village station will be established, and the project will widen the village access road and improve pedestrian conditions on the Deokjeok-Soya bridge to enhance resident safety and transportation infrastructure.
Alongside this, land reclamation at the cargo wharf and repairs to the pier will significantly improve working conditions for fishers.
Since launching its fishing village and port regeneration project in 2019, the city has been selected in the ministry's annual competition every consecutive year.
Officials said the city's practice of engaging directly with local residents from the earliest stages of the application process — and tailoring plans to reflect their input — earned high marks from evaluators.
"We will push ahead with the project without a hitch, drawing on the know-how we have built up in fishing village regeneration," said Kim Ik-jung, director of Incheon's agriculture, fisheries and food bureau. "From the master-planning stage onward, we will listen to voices from the field and create fishing village hubs where residents can feel a real change in their lives."
gilbert@heraldcorp.com
