HAPCHEON — Hapcheon County in South Gyeongsang Province has confirmed 71 pledge projects across five policy areas for the ninth popularly elected local government term and will announce a detailed implementation plan this month.
The county set its administrative vision as "Hapcheon, advancing through communication, empathy and harmony." The 71 projects fall into five areas: becoming the nation's wealthiest farming city, a transport hub for western South Gyeongsang Province positioned for the next 50 years, a city where children and young adults stay, a county offering welfare and public safety that residents can rely on, and a destination for extended-stay cultural tourism and sports.
The flagship project is attracting a pumped-storage power plant at Odosan. The state project calls for a 900-megawatt plant in the Apgok-ri area of Bongsan-myeon at a total cost of 1.8 trillion won ($1.26 billion). The county secured a pumped-storage plant at Dumusan in late 2023 and is now pursuing what it calls "twin pumped-storage plants" by building a second facility at the adjacent Odosan. The county believes linking the two plants would cut costs and improve efficiency. It plans to highlight Odosan's terrain and local support of more than 95% to have the project included in the government's 11th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand.
To push ahead with a basic income program for farming and fishing communities, the county created a dedicated basic income task force within its planning and budget office on Sept. 22. The team is preparing for the system's introduction, including drafting an ordinance, and will respond to a government call for proposals expected in the second half. A tourism infrastructure project at the Hapcheon meteorite impact crater continues with the goal of building a world geological theme park. A hub center is scheduled for completion in December, and a geological and ecological trail loop will be built by 2029.
The county said it has secured the country's first rural specialization district designation and selection for a regional specialization urban regeneration project in Chogye-myeon during the current term. The rural specialization district was designated in July, and 7 billion won, including 3.5 billion won in state funding, will be used to build a pet wellness platform in Pyeonggu District 2 in Ssangbaek-myeon. The county said a string of successful proposals has brought in 74.2 billion won in project funding during the term. On July 10, it signed an agreement with the Korea Wrestling Federation to host national wrestling championships from 2027 through 2031, raising its profile as a sports city.
"During this term, I will listen more and spend more time in the field," Hapcheon County Mayor Kim Yun-cheol said. "I will do my utmost to build a Hapcheon where every resident feels happier."
