Gangwon-do Gov. Choi Moon-soon, marking 10 years in office, announces the achievements his local government had made during his term on April 27. (Photo: Gangwon-do Provincial Govt.)

The 2022 Gangwon World Forest Expo will be opened for a 33-day run on May 4 in Gangwon-do. The expo will coincide with the 15th World Forest Congress, which will take place in Seoul from May 2 through May 6.

The expo will be held under the theme “Finding the Future of World and Humanity in Forest” at the Gangwon-do World Jamboree Training Center and four cities — Goseong, Sokcho, Inje and Yangyang.

The organizing committee of the 2020 Gangwon World Forest Expo said the expo will suggest a future forest vision to achieve forest and peace initiatives, publicize successful forest “greenfication” and integral forest restoration application, seek opportunities to produce new industries through fostering domestic products and industries, and share successful models of sustainable forest management, forest fire prevention and forest recreation welfare.

An estimated 1.3 million Korean and foreign spectators are expected to tour the sites during the expo period, the organizing committee said.

The expo will bring about production induction effects worth 325.7 billion won, value-added induction worth 144.3 billion won, and job induction effect of 5,065 people, thus contributing to reinvigorating the regional economy.

A bird’s eye-view of the 2022 Gangwon World Forest Expo, to be held at the Gangwon-do World Jamboree Training Center at four cities — Goseong, Sokcho, Inje and Yangyang. (Photo on the courtesy on the website of the expo)

Gangwon-do Gov. Choi Announces Achievements Made During Term

Gangwon-do Gov. Choi Moon-soon, marking 10 years in office, announced the achievements his local government had made during his term, including the expansion of the SOC industry and emerging as an advanced future industry center, on April 27.

Among the representative achievements touted by Gov. Choi are the realization of transportation networks, stretching in all directions through the expanding of the SOC industry, emerging as an advanced future industry center, and becoming a “peace center” of the Korean Peninsula through the successful hosting of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games.

As for the expansion of the SOC industry, access to the Seoul metropolitan area has been dramatically improved like the opening of KTX and expressway lines in time for the hosting of 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games.

Gangwon-do’s four railroad lines, including a long-standing one connecting Yongmun and Hongcheon, have been included in the 4th national railroad construction plan, which was announced of late.

With the central government’s designating Gangwon-do as a digital health care restriction-free specialized zone and the nation’s first liquefied hydrogen restriction-free specialized zone, Gov. Choi said his local government is accelerating efforts to build an industrial foundation to spearhead the nation’s innovative technologies.

He stressed the start of efforts to boost future new energy industries, designed to cope with climate change, such as the building of a liquefied hydrogen/hydrothermal energy convergence cluster.

The size of the regional economy surged from 33.087.3 trillion won in 2011 at the time of his inauguration 47 percent to 48.624.6 trillion won in 2019, showing signs of growth.

Among the success stories the provincial government achieved during his term are the successful hosting of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, the issuance of Gangwon-do-style gift certificates, and introducing a Gangwon-do-style private sector collaboration delivery app, the pushing of a project to build the Legoland Theme Park, and introducing the nation’s first job creation foundation.