Sokcho’s Daepo Port ranks first for national hub fishing port project; Gangwon State to pursue 95 billion won plan

【Financial News, Sokcho = Kim Gi-seop, reporter】Sokcho’s Daepo Port will be developed into a national hub fishing port through a 95 billion won project, beating out 11 ports nationwide.
According to Gangwon State on the 12th, Daepo Port received the highest score among 11 ports that applied nationwide in the final evaluation for the National Hub Fishing Port Development Project, led by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and was selected as the top priority.
Daepo Port was named one of three preliminary candidate ports in the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ paper and on-site assessments last July, alongside Janggo Port in Dangjin and Seomang Port in Jindo. In the final evaluation, which assessed the viability of the project plans, site conditions and ripple effects, Daepo Port outscored the other two ports. It was the only one of the three to secure the relevant funding this year, so design work will begin immediately.
The area around Daepo Port will receive 95 billion won in investment to build a production-area hub seafood distribution center, low-temperature and eco-friendly fish auction facilities, and a cold-chain distribution network. The plan also includes expanding berthing facilities for fishing boats, modernizing safety facilities, and creating public waterfront spaces and tourism amenities.
The Youth Sea Village development project, which had been pursued through a separate public competition, has also been incorporated into the basic plan. The plan is to invest 10 billion won in rental housing for young people and shared community facilities, while linking tailored jobs with the transfer of fishing skills to bring youthful vitality to fishing villages.
Gangwon State has consulted with relevant ministries, explaining Daepo Port’s location and its role as a hub port, and underscoring the need to develop it in line with the government’s policy direction and evaluation criteria. The Gangwon State Ocean and Fisheries Bureau, the office of National Assembly member Lee Yang-su, and Sokcho City also worked as a team in the evaluation, helping secure the result. The state plans to develop Daepo Port into a key economic axis for the East Coast region, where fisheries logistics and marine tourism converge.
Governor Woo Sang-ho said, “As Daepo Port is the only preliminary candidate port to have secured funding for this year as well, we will move straight into the design phase and accelerate the 95 billion won project.” He added, “Once the production-area distribution center and Youth Sea Village are established, Daepo Port will become the center of the East Coast’s marine economy, where fisheries and tourism grow together.”
[email protected] Kim Gi-seop Reporter