Spatial planning and economic development in border region: The experiences of Gangwon Province, Korea

Gangwon province has suffered from low rate of regional economic growth, resulting in exodus of locally well educated young workforce and thus, losing vitality and sense of hope. The situation will aggravate unless one turns the tide upside down. Now it appears that the time has come for the province to do it since the Korean government announced the green growth strategies last year. This paper strongly suggests that Gangwon province may have to shift its regional development strategy in order to ride on the green wave and should not miss the opportunity to make up for the stagnant growth that it has experienced over the last ten or more years. The paper has four objectives in mind; the first one is to briefly investigate why the regional economic growth has been slow to the extent that it cannot absorb even the locally trained/educated high quality work force. Secondly it critically reviews major policies and programs being initiated by, and embedded with, the provincial government. Various efforts have been made to revitalize region's economy, e.g., promoting tourism and high-tech and green ocean businesses, inducement of manufacturing firms from outside, and etc. Thirdly it suggests ways to increase value added of such prevailing industries as tourism, agriculture and service sector. Simultaneously it strongly argues that the province ought to utilize 'naturally endowed green resources,' water, forest and mining resources in particular. The final section of the paper focuses on green growth strategies, beginning with a discussion of locally initiated renewable energy production. Gangwon province is forerunner with respect to renewable energy, being led by wind power, biomass and hydro electric power. There remains much room for further development of renewable energy in the province. The discussion then explores green growth strategies at the national level and identifies a number of projects consistent with, and conceivably matching with, the national strategies.