South Chungcheong Province strengthens collaboration with public institutions

South Chungcheong Province held its first major work-reporting session of the ninth elected administration Wednesday, gathering heads of 18 provincial public institutions at the provincial government's main conference hall to reaffirm their commitment to building a more connected province.

At the meeting, the heads of the institutions laid out agency-specific plans to advance key provincial priorities, including establishing South Chungcheong Province as an "AI capital," building an AI-based society and spreading the Chungcheong spirit of loyalty, filial piety and propriety.

The South Chungcheong Research Institute will strengthen policy support for the AI capital and AI-based society initiatives, while the South Chungcheong Technopark will drive the expansion of AI transformation in manufacturing and the advancement of core industries.

Medical centers in Cheonan, Gongju, Seosan and Hongseong plan to improve the quality of healthcare services by building AI-based smart medical systems, and the South Chungcheong Sports Council will upgrade its AI-driven scientific training systems to sharpen athletic competitiveness.

The session also addressed ways to foster inter-agency cooperation and identify joint projects aimed at creating a "healing South Chungcheong" by linking historical, cultural and tourism resources.

The South Chungcheong History and Culture Research Institute will pursue research on the preservation, management and utilization of historical and cultural assets, while the Korea Confucian Culture Promotion Institute will work to spread the Chungcheong spirit and develop K-Confucian content.

The South Chungcheong Culture and Tourism Foundation will develop convergence projects linking cultural, arts and tourism resources, and the South Chungcheong Content Promotion Agency will raise the competitiveness of cultural tourism content by nurturing the regional content industry.

The South Chungcheong Development Corporation will focus on key projects aligned with the ninth elected administration's policy direction — including transitioning the public housing supply system through the province's Daom housing model, reconstructing the Seocheon specialty market and building a comprehensive medical facility in Naepо.

The South Chungcheong Technopark will lead regional industrial innovation through the development of materials, parts and equipment industries, proactive responses to industrial crises, and the expansion of future energy industry infrastructure.

The South Chungcheong Economic Promotion Agency will pursue policy financing support and export market expansion for small and medium-sized enterprises, digital transformation and recovery support for small business owners, and tailored employment services to address industrial transitions.

The South Chungcheong Credit Guarantee Foundation plans to support the competitiveness of small business owners and the recovery of the local economy through credit guarantees to ease their financial burden, as well as customized business guidance for youth startups and crisis response.

The South Chungcheong Content Promotion Agency will work to establish an esports industry hub and nurture strong small and medium-sized enterprises in content and information and communications technology, while the South Chungcheong Lifelong Education Promotion Agency presented expanding lifelong learning opportunities for residents and supporting the growth of local talent as its key tasks.

The South Chungcheong Social Service Agency will pursue gap-free care responses, build a foundation for the self-reliance of out-of-school youth and strengthen support for young people in crisis.

The South Chungcheong Disabled Persons Sports Association will enhance athletic competitiveness and sports welfare through the promotion of sports for people with disabilities and the development of athletes.

The South Chungcheong Transportation Training Institute will work to create a safer transportation environment by expanding digital-based traffic safety education, strengthening the capabilities of transportation workers and supporting the protection of vulnerable road users — including the elderly — and accident prevention.

The province said it will organically connect each institution's expertise and projects based on the key tasks and issues discussed at the session to generate tangible results. It added that it will strengthen its cooperative framework with public institutions and translate each agency's role and expertise into provincial achievements that residents can feel in their daily lives.

"Public institutions are the implementing bodies that fulfill promises to residents on the ground," South Chungcheong Province Governor Park Soo-hyun said. "To residents, the provincial government and its public institutions are all the same 'South Chungcheong administration,' so we will do our utmost — through collaboration with our affiliated agencies — to ensure that residents can feel real change in their everyday lives."