On February 28th (Wednesday), Minister Kang Do-Hyung of Oceans and Fisheries held an open forum event (talk concert) with fishing villagers, returning fishermen, tourists, and experts at the Gyeongnam School for Returning Fishermen in Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do, to identify realistic and urgent policy ideas to fight against population decline and risk of disappearance in fishing villages and coastal communities. Despite their high potential for future growth, fishing villages and coastal communities are in danger of disappearance due to a steady decline in the fishing population* and accelerating aging**. In response, Minister Kang Do-Hyung of Oceans and Fisheries emphasized the importance of drafting differentiated policy measures to revitalize such villages and communities and designated the Comprehensive Plan for Revitalizing Fishing Villages and Coastal Areas as the first task of the Marine and Fisheries Civil Livelihood Reform Task Force Team. This comprehensive plan covers not only existing fishing villages but also coastal areas to fully utilize the potential of the sea. The plan contains various policy actions to revitalize fishing villages and coastal areas, ranging from processing and distribution of fisheries and marine leisure and tourism to coastal development that will improve settlement conditions, create quality jobs and stable sources of income, and revitalize marine tourism. The open forum event was designed to ensure the actual voices of people in the field are reflected in the comprehensive plan, and the first such event, titled “Returning Salmon Talk,”* was held in the Southern Sea region. Minister Kang directly communicated with various participants, including fishermen, those returning to fishing communities, tourists, and experts and discussed ways to revitalize villages with repatriating populations by leveraging fish farms and on-board fishing operations.