KOREAN NET

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Oct. 15 speaks at a town hall meeting at Jeju Free International City Development Center in Jeju City, Jeju Island, on turning the island into a global resort city. (Office of the President)

By Xu Aiying

A government strategy promotes the development of Jeju New Port on Jeju Island to turn the island into a world-class city of culture and tourism.

To this end, the island will be designated a pilot operating area for urban air mobility (UAM), preserve the fishing industry of haenyeo (female diver) and launch a research center to study the cultural heritage of Tamra, or the old name of Jeju.

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Oct. 15 discussed the theme "Jeju, Clean Island Open to the World and Global Resort City" in a town hall meeting at Jeju Free International City Development Center in the island's Jeju City.

He first proposed three visions for the island's development: tourism advancement through "connection and specialization"; industrial growth that leads to "cleanliness and innovation"; and improvements in residential living conditions focused on "substantial change."

To this end, Jeju will be designated a pilot area for operating the UAM "flying taxis" and its new port will undergo development into a hub for maritime logistics and cruises.

UAM is a transportation system that carries people and cargo by using electric vertical take-off and landing, aka eVTOL, technology. To stimulate tourism on the island, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province has promoted the designation of the pilot program.

Thanks to tourism assets at high elevations like Hallasan Mountain and Seongsan Ilchulbong Sunrise Peak, Jeju is considered to have favorable conditions to connect UAM and tourism businesses.

"I will do my best to help make Jeju Island a benchmark in zero-carbon energy transformation by actively backing innovation in clean energy and clean industries on the island," President Yoon said. "We will invest KRW 56 billion by 2026 in Jeju Island's large-scale project to demonstrate green hydrogen to support securing technology for producing green hydrogen adapted to Korea's circumstances."

Multifaceted public support at the national level will also promote global awareness of fishing by haenyeo to protect and preserve the tradition. A proposed national research center for Tamra culture will systematically study tangible and intangible cultural assets on the island and form the basis for developing them into tourism content.

xuaiy@korea.kr