Mayor Sim Min of Imsil-gun County said that his district has an "emotional yearning." The emotions that he talked about could be the longing for someone or something in nature. It's something that can fill the empty side of the mind.

Mayor Sim emphasized that he would willingly dedicate himself to making a "happy" county. He plans to improve its arts and tourism resources, including the cheese theme park, a type of traditional folk music called Pilbong Nongak and the Okjeongho Lake. He just couldn't hide his firm determination to make Imsil a county in which people want to live and want to visit.

Mayor Sim recently returned from a business trip to Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. He was reviewing the construction of towns for Koreans in Europe who have spent most of their lives overseas, sending remittances back home for the economic development of the nation. Korea.net recently sat down with Mayor Sim to hear more about his future plans.


- Despite its long history, Imsil is relatively lesser known. How would you want to describe the characteristics of this region?

As its name suggests, Imsil is a region where fruits ripen well. It's a town of abundance. Many people associate Imsil with cheese, so the county is well-known for cheese now, and also for its high quality chili peppers. In addition, Pilbong Nongak music, a UNESCO-registered traditional folk song that represents Jeolla Province, has been handed down here for about four centuries.

- As you mentioned, many people tend to associate Imsil with cheese. Please tell us about "cheese tourism" and how Imsil became the mecca of the domestic cheese industry.

Imsil-gun County is the origin of Korean cheese. The county wasn't content with only a secondary dairy industry, so pushed for the development of the tourism industry with a hands-on "cheese experience program." The Imsil Cheese Theme Park, equipped with a collection of experience halls, an R&D center, a factory, an exhibition space and a restaurant, functions as the county's major tourist attraction. The theme park has been a benchmark for a number of other organizations and local governments, from both Korea and overseas. Plans are under way to enhance the connections between the theme park and the nearby Cheese Town, and to improve facilities and programs. Imsil will thereby become a major domestic tourist attraction.

- Imsil focuses most of its energy on environmentally-friendly sectors, including agriculture and dairy farming.

Projects are under way to give financial support to organic organizations and to construct environmentally-friendly farming complexes. We are building the basis for environmentally-friendly agriculture. In addition, starting in 2013, we began construction on facilities that help with waste disposal, the distribution of fresh produce, green experience and educational spaces.

Compared to other regions, dairy farming is much more important in Imsil. We give financial support to the construction of cleaner milking facilities and to a balancing system that can accurately measure a cow's daily and monthly production of milk. We also have a sperm bank and a breeding program for high quality milking cows.

- What are the key areas you focus on in terms of the arts, traditions and tourism?

There are many cultural elements and tourist attractions with distinct regional characteristics, including the Imsil Cheese Theme Park, Pilbong Nongak music, the Saseondae Tourist Resort & Sculpture Park and Okjeongho Lake. We would like to promote these and enhance connections with ecological resources, making it a more comfortable and pleasant place for tourists.


- What are the merits of Imsil-gun County in terms of foreign direct investment and international cooperation?

We plan to expand our network with relevant international organizations, particularly in countries with strong dairy farming industries. Imsil cheese was made possible by Father Ji Jeong-hwan from Belgium, and the Cheese Theme Park was beautifully decorated in a Swiss style.

Also, we are thinking about building a town for people in Germany who have spent most of their lives sacrificing their labor for Korea's national economic development. Based on these, we plan to create more cultural exchange programs.

- What would you recommend first-comers to eat or to try in Imsil?

First of all, I would like to recommend tourists to visit Osu Wondongsan Mountain Park. There's a statue to a dog built to remember a faithful dog that gave its life to save its owner during a wildfire. Today, ethics and morals seem to have faded away. This place gives us something to think and to learn about.

One of the must-eat dishes in Imsil is a soup of marsh snail. Inhabiting the unpolluted upper reaches of the streams that feed into the Seomjingang River, the snails are rich in hemoglobin and are good for the liver.

- Please say some final words for tourists who want to pay a visit to Imsil.

In Imsil, you can experience the "real" Korea. Please come and visit the county to find its merits, build memories and to experience the warmth and generosity of the people.

By Jeon Han, Lee Seung-ah
Photos: Jeon Han
Korea.net Staff Writers
hanjeon@korea.kr