Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Governor-elect Woo Sang-ho has set "Make Gangwon Special, Make Residents Happy" as the governing slogan for the ninth directly elected provincial administration, which launches July 1.
The three governing principles were confirmed as "Clean Gangwon, Youth Gangwon and Peace Gangwon."
Woo and Kim Heon-young, chair of the gubernatorial transition committee, announced the slogan and principles at a press briefing Monday at the transition committee office on the fourth floor of the provincial government annex in Chuncheon, outlining the vision and philosophy of the incoming administration.
Woo said he had listened to a wide range of residents' voices throughout the election campaign, and that the transition committee had drawn on residents' desire for meaningful change in proposing and finalizing the slogan and principles.
The slogan reflects Woo's governing philosophy: to convert Gangwon's distinctive assets — its nature, industry and peace — into new engines of growth, ushering in an era for Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province as a leading region of South Korea, while translating those gains into jobs, income and improved living conditions so that every resident's life improves.
The word "special" is rendered in blue, symbolizing the azure waves of the East Sea and the clear skies over the Baekdudaegan mountain range — representing Gangwon's boundless potential and its firm vision as a special self-governing province.
The word "happy" appears in green, evoking the life preserved within the Demilitarized Zone and the rich natural vitality nurtured by Seoraksan — symbolizing residents' happiness and a sustainable future, the transition committee said.
Of the three governing principles, "Clean Gangwon" envisions attracting businesses by leveraging clean energy from water, wind and sunlight alongside the province's pristine natural environment, raising the value of clean agricultural and specialty products to boost residents' income and strengthen the competitiveness of farming and fishing, and developing stay-oriented tourism hubs that blend unspoiled nature with wellness, healing and gastronomy.
"Youth Gangwon" aims to create quality jobs for young people by attracting high-tech companies, nurturing locally tailored industries and building a startup ecosystem, while improving housing, healthcare, childcare and education to make Gangwon a better place to raise children. It also calls for expanding cultural infrastructure for young people to revitalize communities across the province and building a university-linked industry-academia cooperation ecosystem to open up a brighter future for youth.
"Peace Gangwon" is built on the idea that peace can be an economic driver. The transition committee said the principle calls for creating new growth engines through deregulation in border areas and the establishment of a peace economy special zone, transforming the DMZ and surrounding areas into ecological, environmental and tourism assets — converting a "symbol of division" into an "asset of peace" — and laying the groundwork for inter-Korean agricultural and fisheries cooperation.
The finalized slogan and governing principles are set to be posted simultaneously at the provincial government, city and county offices, and affiliated agencies on July 1, when Woo's term begins.
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