Daecheong-myeon Township (Chief Han Sang-hyuk) of Ongjin-gun County (Governor Jang Jeong-min) has carried out a large-scale coastal cleanup around the Seonjinpo Port dock, the gateway to Daecheongdo Island, ahead of the Chuseok holiday. The township said on Sept. 21 that it held a "Clean-up Day" environmental cleanup at the Seonjinpo Port dock on Daecheongdo on Sept. 16 with some 30 local residents and staff taking part.
 [The Korean Today] Clean-up Day environmental cleanup at the Seonjinpo Port dock on Daecheongdo © Reporter Kim Mi-hee |
The Seonjinpo Port dock, the target of the cleanup, is Daecheongdo's flagship port. It serves as a transportation and fishing hub where passenger ferries, cargo ships and fishing boats converge, plays a central role in the local fisheries industry, and is the first place holiday travelers encounter when arriving on the island.
Participants focused on collecting coastal waste left around the dock, including discarded fishing nets, styrofoam and plastic. The day's haul came to about 3 tons. Including this drive, the coastal waste collected by Daecheong-myeon so far this year totals about 221 tons.
This is not the township's first cleanup effort. Starting with Nongyeo Beach in March, Daecheong-myeon has conducted a total of 12 large-scale cleanup operations to date, covering major tourist sites and environmentally vulnerable areas on Daecheongdo and Socheongdo, including the main roadside in Seonjin-dong and Ajinpo Harbor on Socheongdo. The northernmost islands of the West Sea require continuous management, as marine debris carried in by currents arrives without letup.
 [The Korean Today] Residents and staff taking part in Daecheong-myeon's first Clean-up Day of September © Reporter Kim Mi-hee |
The latest drive was largely intended as preparation for welcoming those returning to their hometowns for the Chuseok holiday. Discarded nets and styrofoam not only mar the scenery but can also hinder vessel operations and fishing activities, making the upkeep of the port area an issue directly tied to residents' daily lives.
Han Sang-hyuk, chief of Daecheong-myeon, said, "We carried out the cleanup to present a pleasant and beautiful image of Daecheongdo to those returning to their hometowns for Chuseok," adding, "We will continue to do our utmost to preserve the environment through sustained cleanup activities carried out jointly by residents, the government and the military."
Daecheong-myeon plans to continue its cleanup activities in a format bringing together residents, administrative agencies and military units, and coastal environmental management on Daecheongdo and Socheongdo is expected to become an ongoing shared task for the community.
[ Reporter Kim Mi-hee: incheonsouth@thekoreantoday.com ]
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