Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and Gyeongbuk Province spent 11.6 billion won to renovate the port of convergence in Gyeongju
Demolition of useless land barrier and construction of sea breakwater
Overwhelming damage 'tuk'...Enjoy the superb view of the East Sea to ensure safety
24 East Coast of North Gyeongsang Province... to expand fishing village maintenance



Convergence Port in Yangnam-myeon, Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, has been reorganized as a fishing village new deal project by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and instead of demolishing the barrier wall (left) in the middle of the village, a huge seawall (right) has been built on the sea. View the image provided by North Gyeongsang Province
Convergence Port in Yangnam-myeon, Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, has been reorganized as a fishing village new deal project by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and instead of demolishing the barrier wall (left) in the middle of the village, a huge seawall (right) has been built on the sea. Courtesy of North Gyeongsang Province

Kim Il-sung (65), the head of the fishing village who has been fishing at the port of convergence in Yangnam-myeon, Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province for 30 years, couldn't sleep well due to the prediction that typhoons come every summer. These days, however, he sleeps soundly as if it is none other's business. This is due to the fact that an 8-meter-wide and 130-meter-long sea breakwater was installed above the sea in front of the village.

A barrier was installed along the shoreline at the port, and another barrier measuring 100 meters in length and 1.5 meters in height was located inside the port. However, the barrier failed to block large waves. A barrier inside the port was also installed on the road in the middle of the village, causing inconvenience to residents while walking and communicating with vehicles. There was also constant risk of accidents. However, the situation around the port has changed as North Gyeongsang Province and Gyeongju City have started the Fishing Village New Deal 300 project by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries since 2019. The barrier wall inside the land was neatly demolished, and a huge breakwater, a concrete structure, was built at sea. A total of 11.164 billion won was invested over the three years, including 7.815 billion won in state funds, 1.06 billion won in provincial funds, and 2.34 billion won in municipal expenses.



With the demolition of the existing barrier wall, a wide walking path of 7m was created, and the scenery of the blue East Sea in front of the port of convergence can be seen at a glance. There is also a rest area where villagers can rest, and a square and observation deck where tourists can park their cars and enjoy the scenery. The fishing port, which was littered with fishing gear and fishing nets, has been reorganized into a space where people can enjoy marine sports, such as being able to anchor jet skis. "Since the marine breakwater was built, typhoon Mitak in 2019, Maisak and Haisun in 2020, as well as waves over 8m during last year's Omais have not suffered much damage," said Kim Il-sung, chief of the department. "Now there is no concern even if a typhoon comes."

Scenic lights were installed on the barrier wall along the coastline, transforming the port into a more beautiful port at night than during the day. A 100-meter-long pedestrian bridge was placed over the stream that flowed between the beach and the neighborhood on the side of the port and caused inconvenience to residents. Storks Rock on the sea, which is famous for its habitat of storks, and grandpear trees, grandmothers and grandmothers Rocks, which have village legends, have also been renovated and transformed into "tourism attractions."




During the fishing village New Deal 300 project, residents took the lead in changing the village by actively presenting improvement measures. It was also the residents' idea to transform a 20-year-old village hall into a community center equipped with a cafe.

The Fishing Village New Deal 300 is a project that the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries selects 300 of the ports, ports and fishing villages across the country to modernize essential infrastructure of fishing villages and to promote regional projects to revitalize the fishing village economy. A total of 3 trillion won will be invested by 2024.

A total of 24 places were selected on the east coast of North Gyeongsang Province, including five in Gyeongju City, Pohang City, Yeongdeok County and Ulleung County, and four in Uljin County. Maintenance work is underway with 217.7 billion won, including 152.4 billion won in state funds. As a national task for the new government, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries plans to carry out a "fishing village new vitality promotion project" that is further expanded than the existing fishing village New Deal 300 project. Lee Chul-woo, governor of North Gyeongsang Province, said, "We will focus all our efforts on creating sustainable fishing villages and fishing ports that can reduce disaster concerns and overcome aging at the same time. We will improve the quality of life with a new "fishing village new vitality promotion project" and transform it into a space that becomes another source of income."



Gyeongju = Reporter Kim Jung-hye kjh@hankookilbo.com