Ansan wins top prize for easing construction disruptions in fishing village renewal

Ansan in Gyeonggi Province has been named the top recipient of the government's "Outstanding Local Government in Fishing Village and Port Regeneration Project Management" award, recognized for reducing resident inconvenience and accelerating project progress during its fishing village and port renewal work.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced Monday that it selected Ansan as the grand prize winner in its 2026 evaluation of outstanding local governments in fishing village and port regeneration. Samcheok in Gangwon Province and Muan-gun in South Jeolla Province received the excellence award, while Saha-gu in Busan, Dong-gu in Ulsan and Haenam-gun in South Jeolla Province each received merit awards.

The ministry has conducted the outstanding local government evaluation since 2024 to identify best practices and strengthen project management capacity in fishing village and port regeneration. This year, 18 local governments nationwide took part and were assessed on budget execution, facility completion rates, project management capability and interagency cooperation.

Ansan earned the top prize for using its own budget to operate convenience facilities — including multipurpose containers and temporary restrooms — at Seonggam Port and Pungdo Port during renovation work. The city was credited with minimizing income disruptions for fishing industry workers and reducing inconvenience for visitors during the construction period.

Systematic project management and swift construction progress that enhanced the overall impact of the work were also cited as factors behind the award.

Prize recipients receive a ministerial commendation from the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries along with cash awards — 3 million won (about $1,970) for the grand prize, 2 million won for the excellence award and 1 million won for the merit award. They will also receive bonus points when new project sites are selected for the Fishing Village New Deal 3.0 program in 2027.

The ministry is currently overseeing 183 fishing village and port regeneration projects nationwide. The government plans to develop fishing villages into economic and lifestyle hubs by upgrading aging port facilities and expanding community infrastructure.