Interview Mr Moon Dong-Shin Mayor of Gunsan, Republic of Korea What are the main areas of action of the local government of Gunsan City? Gunsan City has been carrying out its vision consistently in order to reach its goal of building an "international business and tourism city of half a million citizens". Gunsan has emphasized making itself a business hub for northeast Asia and becoming a model of prosperity, harmony and dignity. As part of this striving for prosperity, Gunsan has not ignored the importance of harmony, which, beyond being positive for citizenship coexistence, is also understood as balanced development in different areas: business, culture and the arts, tourism, welfare, and sport, which are going through dynamic changes. Gunsan decided that its lines of action should be as follows: - Creation of a prosperous business city: Gunsan has attracted 397 businesses to its industrial complex, resulting in the total sub-division of the lots in its industrial park. In this park Gunsan fosters the growth of the motor and high-tech industries, such as aeronautics, wind energy, ship building, and the creation of plasma applications; key sectors in order for Gunsan to become a prosperous business city. - Creation of an appealing tourist city: since opening the 33.9 km-long Saemangeum dike causeway in April 2010, the number of visitors has hit 10 million, which makes Gunsan one of the "must-see" places in Korea. Tourism will have a deep impact on local economy. In order to take advantage of it, Gunsan has a long-term strategy to create a tourist belt uniting the Saemangeum area, the Gogunsan Islands, the Eunpa Tourist Park, the old city centre, and the Geumgang River. Through this strategy Gunsan is seeking to transform itself into a year-round tourist destination. The city has set up an international tourist centre in the area between Shinshi and Yami Island. Holding concerts throughout the year also forms part of this initiative. - Creation of a balanced city and pole of attraction for growth: Gunsan is striving to expand its urban infrastructure. Along this line the city is moving forward in the construction of the Gunjag Bridge, the access road to the Gogunsan islands, the coastal road that will connect the Gunjang industrial estate and the reconversion of the maritime dump into a recreational space with access to the sea. 1