GWANGYANG — Gwangyang, a city in Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, is stepping up efforts to build an integrated tourism belt along the Seomjin River together with the counties of Gokseong, Gurye and Hadong.
The city said on the 29th that it had taken part in a meeting of the mayors and county governors of the four Seomjin River-area local governments, held at the Gokseong County Office, where participants reviewed progress on the integrated tourism belt project and discussed ways to cooperate on a broader southern-region tourism promotion program.
It was the first time the four local government heads had gathered since the start of the ninth popularly elected local government term. About 30 people attended, including Gwangyang Mayor Park Sung-hyun, the governors of Gokseong, Gurye and Hadong counties, officials from the Jeonnam Tourism Organization and working-level civil servants.
Participants agreed to redefine the Seomjin River not as an administrative boundary but as a shared tourism asset linking the four jurisdictions, and to strengthen cooperation among local governments that share daily life, culture and tourism ties.
Park made clear his intention to develop Gwangyang into a core hub for tourism in the Seomjin River area by connecting the city's coastal, mountain and downtown attractions with the river's ecological corridor.
The meeting reviewed the progress of the integrated tourism belt project. Discussions focused on linking regional tourism resources along the river, joint marketing and the development of travel products designed to keep visitors in the area longer.
The Jeonnam Tourism Organization briefed participants on the status of the southern-region tourism promotion program, the "Seomjin River Stay" specialized project running through 2033, major regional tourism projects and future plans. The four local governments also discussed detailed cooperation measures to make the projects more effective.
Gwangyang and the three counties plan to bundle the ecological, cultural and tourism resources of the Seomjin River area under a single brand so that the entire region is seen as one destination. They also agreed to expand linked travel courses and joint content so that visitors move naturally among the four jurisdictions rather than staying in one place.
"The Seomjin River is a valuable asset that connects Gwangyang, Gurye, Gokseong and Hadong beyond administrative boundaries," Park said. "If we connect the appeal of each area into a single flow, the tourism competitiveness of the entire Seomjin River region will grow much stronger." He added, "Gwangyang will take the lead in growing the Seomjin River area into one of Korea's leading regional tourism zones through active cooperation and execution."
The four local governments have jointly pursued the integrated tourism belt project since declaring the "Seomjin River tourism era" in 2023. In 2024, the project was incorporated into the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's southern-region tourism development plan, laying the groundwork for a broader tourism zone. Current joint projects include the "Seomjin River Stay" program, a circular tour bus linking attractions in the four jurisdictions and the Seomjin River Trail 100K.
Gwangyang said it would use the meeting to strengthen implementation of tourism cooperation in the Seomjin River area and to develop stay-oriented tourism content, aiming to revitalize the local economy and draw more visitors at the same time.
