When it comes to hosting APEC, Jeju can't be beat says governor

What goes into hosting a major international conference? Certainly more than an airport and convention center, said Jeju Gov. Oh Young-hun.

Unmatched natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, and its commitment to sustainability and carbon neutrality make Jeju Island the ideal choice to host the 2025 APEC Summit, Jeju Gov. Oh Young-hun emphasized during a recent interview. [PARK SANG-MOON]

JEJU – What goes into hosting a major international conference? Certainly more than an airport and convention center, said Jeju Gov. Oh Young-hun.

With Korea set to hold the 2025 APEC Summit, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pick the host city later this year, the head of the southern resort island seized every opportunity to argue why Jeju would be a better location than Incheon, Busan or Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang during a recent conversation with the Korea JoongAng Daily.

“In the past, hosting an international conference was about the availability of conference rooms, hotels and transportation,” said the Jeju-born politician.

“But things have changed. Now, it’s more about sending a message through the very location of the event, and no place can beat Jeju in that sense because its pursuit of sustainability and carbon neutrality align with the values of APEC.”

During the interview, conducted by the paper’s CEO Cheong Chul-gun, Oh talked about his plans for the 2025 APEC Summit and how he hopes to push the island to the forefront of the nation’s green transition.

The following are excerpts from that discussion, edited and condensed for clarity.

Q. What key projects do you have planned for this year?

A. First and foremost, our goal is to bring tourist levels back to our pre-Covid annual peak of 15 million. Last year, we managed to attract 13 million. But once we reach the 15 million benchmark again, I think we’re going to have to seriously think about whether we should aim any higher, because more tourists don’t necessarily equate to more economic benefits to the local economy. We’re hoping to attract bigger spenders to the island, and to that end, we’re in the works of designing higher-quality travel packages such as golf tours.

In terms of domestic travelers arriving from the mainland, I’d like to confront a popular misconception that Jeju [shop and restaurant owners] charge higher prices to them compared to local islanders. That’s certainly not true. We offer services that cater to different needs, with a wide range of prices that is becoming increasingly diverse.

Many young Koreans who initially planned to study abroad changed their minds during the pandemic and enrolled at an international school on Jeju Island. How do you wish to further develop the English education hub?

There are currently four international schools on Jeju Island. Our goal is to build three more, as originally planned during the past Roh Moo-hyun administration when the project was conceived. When I was campaigning for governor, I had a chance to meet with a parent whose child graduated from an international school on Jeju Island and got accepted to a university in the United States. The parent told me she had no special attachment to Jeju Island and was solely concerned about her kid getting into a prestigious university. She said she felt disconnected from her child, however, when the kid visited home for the school break and kept listening to songs about Jeju Island. Through that conversation, I realized these students would one day return to contribute to the island.

Jeju’s so-called Global Education City, a district of the island’s four international schools [JEJU PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT]

Aren’t four international schools enough? Why build three more?

To convince more companies to open offices on Jeju Island, there needs to be better infrastructure, and nothing beats educational infrastructure. I’m also hoping that a foreign university will open a campus on Jeju. You’re competing against several cities to host the 2025 APEC Summit. Why should Jeju be chosen?

I think Jeju Island has a lot to offer. It has unmatched natural beauty, rich cultural heritage and a clear vision for the future. On top of that, no city can beat Jeju when it comes to accommodation. Jeju International Airport has direct flights to many major cities in foreign countries. If we are chosen to host the 2025 APEC Summit, we will utilize Jungseok Airfield as a secondary airport for the private planes of attending foreign leaders, which would significantly enhance security measures.

The Jeju International Convention Center, where Jeju hopes to host the 2025 APEC Summit [JEJU INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTER]

A lot of your core policies are related to the development of future industries such as green hydrogen and urban air mobility (UAM). Why is that so?

Only 4 percent of our GRDP [gross regional domestic product] comes from manufacturing, and we try to keep the rate low because we want to protect the environment. So the question was, how are we going to develop new industries without leaving a big carbon footprint? That’s how we came up with the Green Hydrogen Global Hub project, an initiative aimed at creating a green hydrogen ecosystem by expanding facilities for the production and utilization of green hydrogen.

With UAMs, it will take a long time for them to become commercialized. Korea’s general hope for UAMs is that they will help with traffic congestion, but the problem is, will anyone be willing to pay more than 50,000 won ($38) for a ride just to get to work? That’s more expensive than some plane tickets. There’s also the issue of safety. Jeju's idea is to use UAMs for tourism and charge maybe 100,000 to 150,000 won per ride. We think this could be a hit given that some 70 to 80 percent of the 10 million people who visit Hawaii every year take a helicopter tour.

You also pledged to increase exchanges with Asean and the Middle East through your “Asean plus alpha” policy. In which specific areas do you wish to boost exchanges?

Jeju Island long played the role of a maritime hub in Korean history, serving as a gateway to China, Japan and Southeast Asia. The island flourished only when it robustly exchanged with foreign countries, and I think we must make full use of our geographical advantages to relive the prosperous era of the Tamna Kingdom. When solely looking at the Asean region, Jeju Island may seem to be on the periphery. But when looking at the world map, one will see that Jeju is actually on the frontlines of the Korean Peninsula.

In the past, “exchanges” with foreign countries used to flow in a single direction, with one side beckoning for tourists and asking for investments. But now, exchanges are mutual. Goods and people flow both ways, and in this process, added value is created. Since we have a competitive edge in cultural content creation, we hope to seek cooperation in related fields. There’s a young, booming market in Southeast Asia, perhaps the largest market 30 to 40 years down the road, and that’s where we want to aim our focus. I think it’s very much possible if we open more direct flights in the region.

Wind turbines along the sea [JEJU PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT]

The Ministry of Environment recently granted conditional approval to build a second international airport on Jeju Island. What do you look forward to the most?

[Plans for a new airport] have faced a lot of controversies over the years. We need to follow the relevant legal procedures and make policy decisions while maximizing public support.

Every time I visit Jeju Island through Jeju International Airport, I can’t help but notice how crowded it is.

It is crowded. Many people are concerned about the new airport potentially harming the natural environment, so we would like to ensure that these concerns are carefully checked before moving forward.

Green tea fields on Jeju Island [YONHAP]

How do you intend to conserve the environment amid concerns about excessive Chinese real estate investment and development on the island?

I think past governments were far too fixated on attracting foreign investment. I personally don’t understand how that could be a successful idea when many investors don’t even have a proper understanding of the Korean Constitution. The [Ministry of Justice] recently announced changes [to the so-called real estate investment immigration system], raising the standard investment amount from at least 500 million won to at least 1 billion won and strengthening residency requirements. Although many people assume that China is the top real estate investor in Jeju, data shows that it’s actually the United States. While there have been concerns about unbridled development from China, it’s safe to say that we have not yet reached the point where we should worry too much.

Last year, I had a chance to meet Chinese Ambassador to Korea Xing Haiming. I expressed hope to see more Chinese investment in new industries in Korea, such as EV batteries, artificial intelligence and aerospace, rather than real estate. I also suggested we enhance cooperation in these fields. [Ambassador Xing] responded positively and said he agreed.

Statistics show more young people are leaving Jeju Island to live elsewhere. Would you say that’s a concern?

The total number of people entering and leaving Jeju Island is about the same, but we want to prevent young people from departing the island as much as possible. The best way to do that is by creating quality jobs here — jobs at listed companies that guarantee a good paycheck and allow workers to settle down and start a family. Going forward, we also plan to introduce new welfare policies to support new mothers and promote the island as an ideal environment to raise children.

What’s Jeju’s total fertility rate?

It’s 0.92. It’s a bit higher than the nation’s 0.78, but still below the 1 percent mark.

The Seongsan Ilchulbong tuff cone, a Unesco World Heritage site [YONHAP]

What major challenges currently facing Jeju Island would you like to tackle during the remainder of your term?

The average income level of Jeju islanders is currently the lowest in the country, so it’s crucial that we raise it to at least the national average by devising ways to play a leading role in future industries. Throughout this process, my biggest goal is to make Jeju Island a place where people can live happily without feeling the need to move to the capital or the Seoul metropolitan area.

The main issue here is the lack of high-quality companies that can contribute to increasing our GRDP. Most companies on the island are very tiny companies with five or fewer employees. It’s true that we have a higher agricultural production rate and [agricultural] income level compared to other regions, but it’s important to note that this data is primarily representative of the older generation. The issue with the hospitality industry is that a significant portion of the workforce consists of non-regular employees or self-employed individuals, which often leads to an insufficient quality of life for these workers.

And so that’s why young people are leaving the island; because the jobs that are available on Jeju aren’t high-quality jobs they feel satisfied with. When we have more well-paid jobs here and stable companies, that’s when Jeju’s growth rate will climb.

BY LEE SUNG-EUN [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]