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Islands of Korea, Islands of the World We will develop unique content ISLAND Scene

with an open mind

and pave a new path for Hongdo

Head of the
Hongdo Chapter
Shinan County
Tourism Association
Facing declining visitor numbers and a shrinking resident population,
Interview with
Hongdo Island in Shinan County is undergoing great challenges. The
Choi Seong-jin
island is now striving to reinvent itself as a long-stay destination through
new content development and infrastructure upgrades. We spoke with
Mr. Choi Seong-jin, head of the Hongdo Chapter of the Shinan County
Tourism Association, about his vision for the island’s future.

Photo: Lim Jae-woo, Shinan County Tourism Association
Hongdo, the Beautiful Island
Families with young children have moved away one
02 Facing Tourism Decline by one, and now the Hongdo branch of Heuksan
Vol. Elementary School is on the verge of closure due to
Q. Hello, Mr. Choi. Could you briefly
dwindling student numbers. While the county has
introduce Hongdo?
introduced various support measures to attract new
Hello, I’m Choi Seong-jin, head of the Hongdo Chapter residents, the reality remains challenging.
of the Shinan County Tourism Association. Hongdo
is a stunningly beautiful island, designated in its
Q. What do you believe is the main reason
entirety as a Natural Monument of Korea. The island
for the decline in visitors?
is particularly famous for its breathtaking sunsets.
It is also home to various rare species, including The biggest issue is that the island’s tourism content
the Hongdo daylily. Mount Gitaebong, which rises is no longer aligned with current trends. Beautiful
365 meters above sea level, is said to bring health scenery and boat rides aren’t enough. We need to
throughout all 365 days of the year to those who develop content beyond that. We’re working to
climb it. Hongdo is a place full of positive energy and renovate outdated accommodations and diversify
precious natural assets. dining options to improve the travel experience.
However, the biggest challenge is that while
Q. We understand that tourism has been
investment would be possible in a thriving tourism
your main livelihood. Has there been a
industry, our residents have only just weathered the
noticeable decline in visitors?
economic storm of the pandemic and don’t have
Absolutely. The COVID-19 pandemic dealt a heavy the means to invest. Logistics costs here are two to
blow to tourism, and even after the shift to the “With- three times higher than on the mainland, and labor
COVID” era, recovery has been slow. A stable economy costs are naturally also higher. While agriculture and
is key for people to settle down and raise families here, fisheries receive government support, tourism tends
but the drop in tourism has caused more residents to to be overlooked except in a few special cases.
34 leave the island. 35