“Education and culture are the city's foundational strength and a powerful magnet drawing young people.” Since taking office, Mayor Oh Soon-moon of Seogwipo has consistently championed the vision of ‘Seogwipo City of Hope,’ his eyes brimming with conviction. Amidst the crises of low birth rates, aging populations, and the rapidly changing primary industries, Mayor Oh chose a head-on breakthrough—transforming Seogwipo's very constitution rather than merely maintaining the status quo.
From the bold decision to expand the Lee Jung-seop Art Museum tenfold to preparing for the successful hosting of next year's National Sports Festival in Jeju, we met with Mayor Oh Soon-moon, who is redrawing Seogwipo's map, to hear about the future he envisions for Seogwipo and his concrete administrative strategies. [Editor's Note]
1. Upon taking office, you presented the municipal goal of ‘Seogwipo: A City of Hope Opening the Future Through Education and Culture’ and have devoted all efforts to it. What have been the achievements so far?
Upon taking office, I presented the municipal vision of ‘Seogwipo: A City of Hope Opening the Future Through Education and Culture’. This is a strategic choice to respond to changes in the population structure and a vulnerable industrial structure.
Seogwipo faces the structural challenge of youth population outflow amid low birth rates and aging. Our ultimate goal is to create an urban structure where education, culture, and tourism interconnect—ensuring young people stay, tourists linger, and consumption feeds the local economy.
Above all, to create a stable foundation and a nurturing childcare environment for young families, the city operates weekend and holiday childcare support programs at seven locations (two in Jeju City, five in Seogwipo City). It is also expanding specialized programs for elementary, middle, and high school students, along with career lectures and the ‘Dream Project’ for college admission success, all of which are receiving positive responses from parents.
Furthermore, building upon the existing Startup Bay, we are newly operating a Startup Town that supports both entrepreneurship and housing, steadily laying the groundwork for young people to put down roots in the region.
Alongside this, we have worked to enhance Seogwipo City's appeal by developing it into a cultural tourism city, striving to make it a place people want to visit and stay.
Last year, we improved street environments centered on the original downtown area, including Lee Jung-seop Street and Myeongdong-ro, and established permanent nighttime cultural and tourism content like the ‘Geumto Geumto Saeyeon Show’ and the ‘Original Downtown Cultural Festival’. As a result, a structure has been formed where an average of about 2,000 visitors per day are steadily drawn in.
2. What are the city administration goals and projects Seogwipo City is prioritizing most this year?
Building on the six major strategies pursued since taking office, we will redouble our efforts this year to create a ‘Seogwipo City of Hope’ where the local economy thrives and citizens' daily lives are filled with vitality, ensuring these changes permeate every corner of the region.
First, we will further enhance the permanent downtown programs this year and expand the cultural tourism city project to include townships and villages.
- We will operate weekend permanent programs and seasonal events centered around Saeyeon Bridge and the downtown area. Starting with the March Rapeseed Flower International Walking Festival, we will schedule events like the Downtown Cultural Festival, Geumto Geumto Saeyeon Show, Drone Light Show, and Chilseokri Festival seasonally to create stay-and-enjoy content offering fun no matter when visitors come.
Furthermore, we will leverage the Lee Jung-seop Street and Myeongdong-ro commercial district revitalization project, which will see 10 billion won invested over five years starting this year, as an opportunity for the downtown commercial district to leap forward again.
Beyond existing traditional markets and alley-type shopping districts, we will identify small-scale alley commercial districts that are not large in scale but have high growth potential. We will support them with consumption promotion events and lay the groundwork for their sustained growth.
Concurrently, we will diversify tourism products to channel cruise tourists and crew members arriving via Gangjeong Port into the city center. We will enhance hospitality, city guidance, and promotion to translate these visits into consumption and revenue.
Furthermore, we will continuously strive to strengthen the competitiveness of primary industries, which form the foundation of our region. We will also do our utmost to ensure citizens feel tangible changes in their daily lives, including the successful implementation of the integrated medical and long-term care system starting in March.
3. The Lee Jung-seop Museum plays a crucial role in revitalizing the Lee Jung-seop Street and Myeongdong-ro commercial districts. How is the museum expansion project progressing?
The Lee Jung-seop Museum expansion project is being pursued to resolve structural issues such as the existing museum's limited visitor capacity, insufficient exhibition and storage space, and inadequate amenities. This is not merely an extension but a project to rebuild the museum as a core hub of Seogwipo's cultural policy.
After expansion, the total floor area will increase to 5,928㎡, approximately ten times the current size. Exhibition halls will expand more than threefold, and storage facilities will grow over ninefold. This will enable simultaneous operation of special and permanent exhibitions while significantly improving artwork preservation conditions.
The total project cost is 36.8 billion won. Approximately 5 billion won has already been invested to complete preliminary procedures, including the demolition of the existing museum and detailed design services. An additional 5 billion won was secured last year, allowing full-scale construction to commence in April. Currently, civil engineering work (excavation and retaining wall construction) is underway.
A budget of 15.7 billion won has been secured for this year, and the 2027 project cost of 11.1 billion won will also be reflected in phases. Civil works are scheduled for completion by May of the first half of the year, followed by the completion of the structural framework within the year. Interior and exterior finishing works will then proceed sequentially.
Aiming for reopening in August 2027, we will develop it into a complex cultural space combining exhibition, education, and archive functions beyond a simple art museum. It will serve as a representative landmark and a core axis for revitalizing the original downtown area.
4. Following the National Sports Festival for the Disabled in September this year, the National Sports Festival will be held in Jeju in October. What are the preparations and plans for this?
This year's National Sports Festival for the Disabled (Sept. 11-16) will be held in Jeju for the first time, and the National Sports Festival (Oct. 16-22) will be held in Jeju for the first time in 12 years.
The opening and closing ceremonies will be held at the Jeju World Cup Stadium in Seogwipo, and the Gangchanghak Sports Complex will serve as the main venue. Consequently, a large number of athletes and visitors are expected to visit Seogwipo City.
Accordingly, Seogwipo City established a ‘National Sports Festival Preparation Support Task Force’ starting in January 2025. It is closely collaborating with the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Sports Festival Planning Team to advance preparations.
Our city is expanding and renovating 24 venues, including the Seogwipo City Comprehensive Gymnasium, to provide athletes with optimal competition environments. The 3,090-seat Comprehensive Gymnasium will also serve as a venue for the 2027 National Youth Sports Festival and the 2028 National Community Sports Festival following the National Sports Festival.
Furthermore, to provide convenience for visitors and athletes coming to Seogwipo City and support a successful hosting, we have organized 14 specialized task forces for each area of preparation and are systematically advancing preparations.
The National Sports Festival for the Disabled, being held for the first time in Jeju, precedes the main National Sports Festival to raise social awareness of disabled sports. Accordingly, our city is conducting intensive inspections of: △the status of accommodation facilities, including the presence of disabled-accessible facilities; △the availability of disabled-accessible facilities at major tourist sites; and △the installation of disabled-accessible facilities in public restrooms. Based on the results of these sector-specific surveys, we plan to take seamless measures to supplement disabled-accessible facilities and ensure no inconvenience.
Meanwhile, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province is preparing a ‘Digital Games’ unique to Jeju, differentiating itself from other regions. Plans include digital ticket entry, digital medal ceremonies, and robot-assisted Games operations. Digital tickets will be used not only for stadium entry but also for event authentication and regional tourism promotions.
In step with this, our city will actively promote the development and promotion of tourism content within our jurisdiction. We plan to host festivals and cultural performances during the Games period, aiming to create a festival-style event rich in attractions.
We ask for your keen interest and support for the National Para Games and National Sports Festival being held in Jeju this year.
5. Seogwipo City is a major citrus-producing region. With the duty-free import of American mandarins starting this year, farmers' concerns are growing. What countermeasures are in place?
Following the implementation of the Korea-US FTA (Free Trade Agreement), American mandarins became duty-free starting this year. Imports mainly occur from January to May, with over 70% expected to enter the domestic market between March and April.
This period overlaps with the peak shipping season for Jeju's own citrus varieties like Hallabong and Cheonhwa-hyang, so it cannot be said there will be no short-term impact.
However, I believe the core issue is not simply the increase in imported volume, but rather how stably we manage the domestic citrus supply and demand, and how well we supply high-quality citrus to the market.
The expansion of imports of foreign fruits like mandarins is a structural trend. The issue is not limited to mandarins as a single competing fruit. Therefore, rather than focusing solely on price defense, a strategic shift is needed—one centered on quality, branding, and supply management—to solidify the market position of Jeju's late-season citrus varieties.
Therefore, I believe it is crucial that we each respond by making the efforts we can from our respective positions. For instance, farmers, as the primary producers, must cultivate high-quality citrus and harvest only fully ripened fruit for shipment. Distributors, including the Agricultural Cooperative and other retailers, need to rigorously sort out non-premium citrus and manage supply and demand. Administratively, it is necessary to promote the support and institutional improvements required for the foundation of high-quality citrus production.
Specifically, Seogwipo City will actively promote the excellence of late-season citrus and alleviate farmer concerns through on-site communication. We will also vigorously promote initiatives like the Lunar New Year online campaign and late-season citrus consumption through our online shopping mall, ‘Seogwipo in Jeong’. Furthermore, we will strengthen crackdowns on non-marketable citrus to establish a shipping order centered on fully ripened fruit.
6. Finally, a message for the citizens?
In 2026, we will continue to devote our full efforts to stabilizing people's livelihoods and revitalizing local commerce. We will also inject vitality through culture and tourism, and further solidify the competitiveness of primary industries, which form the foundation of our region.
Notably, following the National Sports Festival for the Disabled in September, the National Sports Festival will be held in Jeju, centered in Seogwipo, in October. With many athletes and visitors expected to visit Jeju, we must successfully host these events to showcase Seogwipo City's capabilities nationwide and turn this into an opportunity for new leaps and changes.
We ask for your active participation and cooperation in demonstrating courteous and mature civic awareness, and in extending warm hospitality to the athletes and visitors.
I believe the true measure of administrative success lies in its tangible impact on citizens' daily lives. By responsibly completing the policies we have pursued thus far, we will spare no effort to the very end for the betterment of citizens' lives and the development of Seogwipo City. Thank you.
[Korea English Press Reporter Seo Ju-yeon]
