South Korea is out to develop 3,000 islets scattered along the peninsula as tourist destinations.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Tuesday signed an agreement to improve island accessibility and infrastructure for the purpose of developing tourist contents.

South Korea hosts 3,358 islands, with 482 of them inhabited and 2,876 uninhabited. About 65 percent of them are concentrated in the southwestern province of South Jeolla, which borders the western and southern coasts.

The government has introduced policies to promote island tourism before but did not make much headway as they were randomly pursued by different offices.

The latest partnership represents the government’s resolve to concentrate administrative resources for islet development.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries would be in charge of improving accessibility to the islands by modernizing ferries and implementing various economic policies and public projects under the New Deal 300 plan.

The interior ministry and transport ministry would enhance island living conditions through a comprehensive development plan, while the tourism ministry would curate various travel programs like walking tours.

The islands would be a perfect destination for healing retreats, the government said, as each island possesses its own natural beauty and distinctive local culture. The opening can also provide jobs for the islands facing a rapid decline in young populations.

Other projects to improve the lives of locals and visitors on the islands include boosting mobile phone and Wi-Fi connectivity and implementing zero-carbon policies for sustainable development.

The interior ministry last year designated Aug. 8 as Island Day as part of efforts to promote island tourism. It plans to celebrate the new national holiday this coming August in South Jeolla.

By Choi Hee-seok and Kim Hyo-jin

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]