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Budget cuts amid Won¡¯s vow to nurture nature, cultureGovernor Won Hee-ryong sets out his vision for 2015 despite tightening belts
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¡ã Jeju governor Won Hee-ryong has set out his vision for the year ahead. Photo courtesy Jeju Special Self-Governing Province

Governor Won Hee-ryong put nature, culture and people at the heart of his vision for 2015 despite rows continuing over his budget proposals.

Budget row
After the sharpest cuts in local history, the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs launched an investigation Jan 6 into the provincial government’s 2015 budget as Jeju council cut funding for 70 items, national projects and additional compulsory payments.

The Ministry is investigating if any councilors were involved in attempting to fund local projects to sweeten the electorate and there are also concerns around mismanagement and overspending.

Jeju province is further clarifying if any laws were broken in the council making the cuts while departments requested funding to cover the shortfalls. If a review is to take place it must be completed before Jan 19, within 20 days of the budget’s passage according to the Local Government Act.

Harmonizing development
Seeking to align himself with public unease over reckless development at the start of his first full calendar year in office, Won stressed culture, green growth and sustainability while discarding Hong Kong and Singapore as appropriate development models.

Although these have value in finance, said Won, Jeju should also look to Hawaii for tourism and Curitiba (Brazil) for the environment to harmonize investment, conservation and city planning.

Green tech to offset economic woes
Despite Jeju’s “red-hot” economy — it has grown 5 percent for three years, the highest in the nation, with stable employment and prices, and a population that could hit 700,000 by 2018 — falling oil prices, the weak Japanese yen, the Russian financial crisis and the slowing Chinese economy makes Jeju’s outlook uncertain.

As such, Won will prioritize global cooperation in “creative industries such as tourism marketing, primary industries, electric vehicles, ICT technologies and exports” in seeking to weather the storm making wind power, lava seawater and EV-related manufacturing the bedrock of the island economy.

Although becoming a carbon-free island by 2030 “seems like dream,” Won will establish an ordinance and special taskforce in early 2015 to activate EV promotion to encourage Jeju drivers to switch their 370,000 cars to electric through continued subsidies and more EV buses, taxis and rent-a-cars.

Korea-China FTA fears
Working alongside farmers, fishers and cooperatives, 11 primary industry items were excluded from the FTA.

For products under the FTA, marketing and distribution support will be provided alongside improvements in farm mechanization, infrastructure, crop diversification and environmentally-friendly production, particularly in haute agriculture, fishery, livestock, bio products, and cosmetics.

Stressing the benefits FTAs can bring local producers, Won highlights Greenland Group’s 3 billion won worth of Jeju imports to China in 2015, rising to 50 billion won within five years, and food, fishery and cosmetics exports to China, and tangerines and flatfish to the UK.

Airport expansion
For long-term growth, said Won, airport expansion is essential and the Government and National Assembly are set on expanding Jeju International Airport which is near saturation at over 23 million passengers.

An expansion feasibility study by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will be ready by next year with construction to begin by 2021. Won says it is needed sooner, “so the island can go on booming,” and is urging for a fast-track process so a simple airport with runway and terminals can ready in three years, with full completion by 2022 with investment, as was achieved by Incheon International Airport.

Getting full value for tourism
While Seoul has Gangnam Style, the island has “Jeju Style,” says Won, and this means clean air and water, healthy food and meaningful communication with locals.

Won targets 3 million foreign tourists within five years with independent tourists increasing from 20 to 50 percent in total. Improved services such as resort complexes and the airport will ensure this.

Silla and Lotte duty free sales reached 700 billion won but little went to the public purse. More public duty free sales such as through Jeju Tourism Organization would increase value to the public. If fully transparent, casino profits for the Tourism Promotion Fund should also increase from 17 billion to 30 billion won with money spent on public services and welfare.

An island of culture and art
Just as Cezanne and van Gogh have helped Provence, France, be renowned as a city of art, Seogwipo can use its artistic heritage and artists such as Lee Jung Seop to spread its fame. “We don’t have to envy cities like Provence,” said Won, adding that he wants to develop Jeju into an “art culture island,” setting aside 3 percent of the budget for culture and the arts, along with plans to turn the “Wondosim” area in Old Jeju City into a “characteristic cultural art complex which can penetrate people’s lives.”

On reckless development
The governor recognizes the fears of green belt campaigners around encroaching development and points to the lowering of the Dream Tower from 56 to 38 floors as evidence that the two sides are reaching common ground emphasizing the building height limit of 218 meters must be negotiated at times to ensure value for both developers and Jeju.

He also says he will reform the visa system introduced in 2010 which led to an influx of Chinese real estate investment — 1,486 cases totaling 9,982 billion won as of last October — which has put pressure on Jeju’s mid-mountain regions.

The governor stated that Jeju’s primary value is its pristine nature, followed by recreation, health, leisure, culture and MICE, and only with thorough guidelines and standards can harmonization between the two be ensured.

The examples of Bonte Museum, Podo Hotel and Space show that development can enrich the landscape in design and function, he said, and in this vein an Urban Master Plan for sustainable development will soon be released soon to improve city landscapes and services.

Public opposition to casinos
Won states he is not opposed to casinos in principle if the benefits reach the Jeju people, and from January a casino governing body will seek to maximize public consultation and transparent management. If successful, Won says hundreds of billions of won in tax revenue can be earned from casinos.

The Gangjeong Civilian-Military Complex Base
Current conflict centers on Navy plans to provide 320 residences for married officers outside the naval base and 72 residences inside. Won stresses that what matters most is the direction of the settlement, not its speed with a fact-finding mission seeking to consider Gangjeong residents’ opinions as much as possible.

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