Chungcheongnam-do

▲ Taean salt

Taean, Chungcheongnam-do is expected to rise as an advanced base to lead the marine healthcare industry of Korea. In the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ “Contest for selection of local government in cooperation of discovery and materialization base research (R&D) of potential marine healing resources”, Taean was selected along with 3 other locations: Uljin, Gyeongsangbuk-do (East Coast); Wando, Jeollanam-do (South Coast) and Goseong, Gyeongsangnam-do (South Coast).

Chungcheongnam-do and Taean-gun submitted the Dalsan-ri area of Nam-myeon, a total area of 386,499㎡, as the target site for the project. The project vision is “Healing City Taean Encompassing the Sea and Forest”, and its fundamental directions proposed include ▲ introduction of a representative healing program utilizing marine resources such as Taean salt and salty underground water, ▲ development of a healing program utilizing pristine marine and forest resources, and ▲ introduction of physical and mental healing programs through various tour, leisure and culture activities. The promotion strategies are ▲healing centered on and customized for each patient through professional diagnosis, ▲a variety of healing that utilizes indoor and outdoor environmental factors, ▲comfortable promotion of health and physical and mental healing through the nature-friendly environment, etc.

Looking at the yearly plan, the first phase (R&D cooperation and growth), from this year to 2019, will seek ▲ discovery of marine healing resources and programs, ▲ development of a marine healing commercialization model, ▲ establishment of a cooperation system among relevant domestic and overseas agencies, ▲ advance planning of a marine healthcare complex, and many more. During the second phase (establishment of a marine healing complex), from 2020 to 2022, ▲ establishment of the basis for marine healing commercialization, ▲ preparation for operation of the marine healthcare complex, ▲ establishment and operation of an industry-academia-research-government cooperation system and ▲ education and training of professional healing personnel, etc. In the third phase, from 2023 to 2025, ▲ operation of the marine healing complex, ▲ commercialization of the marine healthcare industry, ▲ vitalization of tourism resources convergence project, ▲ industrialization and vitalization of the marine healthcare complex through PR, etc. will take place.

Through this contest, Chungcheongnam-do and Taean-gun received a high score by emphasizing many of its advantages such as ▲ convenient transportation, ▲ pristine natural environment such as Korea’s only coastal national park and coastal dunes, ▲ excellent natural landscape such as an arboretum and beaches, ▲ identity as an international slow city, ▲ various healing resources such as salt, salty underground water, red clay, marsh and sea sand, ▲ convenience in securing land, and ▲ no restrictions on facility installment.

Jung Nak-chun, Chungcheongnam-do’s Marine Policy Team Manager, stated, “Chungcheongnam-do included fostering of the marine healthcare industry in the “Chungnam marine fisheries development plan” in 2015 and preemptively performed an internal service to confirm that it is the most optimum location in Korea, which led us to apply for this contest…since we have been selected for this contest, we will work together with Taean-gun to accelerate the project and, ultimately, lead the nation’s marine healthcare industry.”

Meanwhile, marine healthcare refers to prevention of potential diseases by using various resources including marine climate, topography, seawater, seaweed and seafood, and utilization of such resources for the promotion of health. A concentration of tourism-related infrastructure such as healing, medicine, research and accommodations, the marine healthcare complex is receiving heightened attention as a promising new growth engine industry of the future.