Says Mayor Kim Sung-soo of Haeundae District of Busan
Mayor Kim Sung-soo of the Haeundae District of the Busan Metropolitan City said, “We are promoting the Haeundae District into Korea’s best tourist and creation city.”
Speaking at an interview with The Korea Post media, publisher of 3 English and 2 Korean-language news media, Mayor Kim also said, “We will make Haeundae an international movie and cultural city.”
Details of the interview with Mayor Kim follow:
Question: What are the details of the urban environment and competitiveness of the Haeundae District as a Global City center?
Answer: The urban environment and competitiveness of the Haeundae District, a global city, can be defined as Korea's Best Tourism and Recreation City. It has Haeu ndae, Songjeong Beach, Jangsan, Suyeonggang River, and hot springs. It is also an international film and cultural city which houses the Seoul Cinema Center, Busan International Film Festival, Busan Museum of Art, Dalmaji and Cheongsapo Culture Village.
Haeundae is also known as the City of Four Seasons Festivals and Marine Leisure events, including: Sand festival, hot spring festival, light festival, G-Star, Asia's largest yacht stadium.
Haeundae is also a City of Exhibition, Convention, and Mice and venue for the BEXCO, Nurimaru House to Host APEC Summit, etc.
Q: What are the major examples of International Exchange in the Haeundae-District?
A: The Haeundae District currently has exchange ties with a total of seven cities, the largest among the 16 districts and counties of the Busan Metropolitan City.
Sisterhood: 2 cities in 2 countries, including China and the Philippines.
Friendship Exchange: 5 cities in 3 countries, e.g., China, Cambodia and Mongolia.
Q: We understand that there have been many new job creations. Please elaborate.
A: Haeundae is a wonderful place to live in, a city where you want to come to. Under the vision of realizing a vibrant economic city, a wide variety of job creation policies have been enforced with a view to:
--Creating sustainable jobs with target residents with a goal to create 13,600 new quality jobs in 2023 (88 projects)
The key strategy highlights include:
Overcoming the economic crisis by creating customized jobs reflecting regional characteristics, promotion of 'life-friendly job projects' through innovative transformation of public job projects, and strengthening self-sufficiency by discovering and supporting Haeundae-type social enterprise models.
There also are: Development of job creation projects reflecting regional and industrial characteristics, boosting festivals and strengthening tourism promotion contents using Haeundae-gu resources and a ‘Work-vocation City' using idle space according to the trends of telecommuting and remote work, and encouraging young people to visit and revitalize the local economy and tourism through creation.
Also, finding sustainable jobs through systematic vocational skills development is promoted.
In addition, there are:
--Operation of specialized education programs for employment and start-up by life cycle through the Technology Education Center
--Through prior learning of local jobs through administrative (corporate) experience of college students
Provide career exploration opportunities and job experience
--Customized curriculum operation and continuous connection with high-quality jobs
--Creating a vibrant economic city by creating job infrastructure and promoting innovative growth
--With the promotion of early completion of the urban high-tech industrial complex in Centum 2 district, creation of a hub city with job infrastructure leading the 4th industry
--Restoration of regional vitality and formation of a sustainable win-win community through the internalization of urban regeneration projects in the Banyeo area
--Securing self-sustaining power and revitalizing the local economy through customized specialized projects for each traditional market
--Strengthen residents' job capabilities by creating a Banyeo Plus School that can be used as a base for jobs, culture, and communities by utilizing local closed schools
--Implementing a welfare city where you want to live by promoting customized job policies for each class
--To preserve income, realize social values, and lead a healthy retirement life.
Job Support Projects for the Elderly will be promoted.
--Customized job projects by class, such as new middle-aged and career-interrupted women will be promoted.
--Regional-led job projects and start-up support projects to induce the influx of young people and local settlement will be promoted.
--Improving the quality of life by establishing a job safety net through co-prosperity and cooperation will be continuously sought.
--Improvement of the quality of local welfare services will be sought by providing stable working conditions and improving the working environment and treatment of workers in social welfare facilities
--Also, expansion of public childcare infrastructure, improving the treatment of childcare teachers, and expanding child care projects will be promoted.
Too, efforts will be made to create a compatible culture between work and family.
Q: What are the representative festivals of the Haeundae District?
A: There are many, and they include:
The Haeundae Sand Festival and Haeundae Light Festival. There also are Korea's only eco-friendly festival based on sand (from May 19 to 22) on the theme of "Expo Sand Sea for the Future of 2030."
Four years after COVID-19, overseas artists participate and exhibit their high-quality works, including 14 large sand works on the history, future and challenges of the Expo.
The Sand Observatory, which was created to welcome the 2030 Busan Expo live-action team, will remain until early June, and the atmosphere of hosting the Expo will continue.
Also, Children's Sand Playground, Sand Sea Treasure Fishing, and Sandboard events are also in store for the visitors to the Haeundae District from all parts of the world—as well as from within the country, the Republic of Korea.
“Let's go!” says Mayor Kim in a gesture emphasizing the good prospects of success of all the plans and events enumerated above.