Goheung-gun, Opening of Happy School for Returning Farmers and Migrants

Customized Education Program for 30 Return-to-Farming and Rural Migrant Participants

[Goheung=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shim Jeong-woo] Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do (County Governor Song Gwi-geun) announced on the 25th that it has opened the "9th Goheung Return-to-Farming and Return-to-Village Happiness School" to help urban residents preparing for return-to-farming and return-to-village and those who have moved to Goheung-gun for early and stable settlement through a proper understanding of return-to-farming and return-to-village.

Since the opening of the Return-to-Farming and Return-to-Village Happiness School in 2019, 268 people have completed the education over 8 sessions. The 9th session will be held for 30 trainees from inside and outside the region from October 25 to October 29 for 5 days, operating a customized education program for return-to-farming and return-to-village by inviting professional instructors and leading farmers.

Goheung-gun established the Population Policy Division for the first time among local governments nationwide in 2018, and in September 2019, opened the Goheung Return-to-Farming and Return-to-Village Happiness School directly operated by the county, providing education, rural experience opportunities, and temporary housing to urban residents wishing to return to farming and villages.

In addition, aiming to raise 10 billion KRW for the "My Love Goheung Fund," it has already secured 9 billion KRW to support incentives for young returnees' settlement, housing repair costs, business succession funds, youth entrepreneur discovery projects, and more. By providing startup funds for return-to-farming and return-to-fishing and support for living bases, various policies are being promoted to attract return-to-farming and return-to-village people and ensure their stable settlement.

As a result of these efforts, since the start of the 7th local government term in July 2018, 4,804 people (equivalent to the size of one myeon) who returned to farming, fishing, villages, and hometown have moved to Goheung. According to the "Urban Return-to-Farming Statistics" jointly announced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Statistics Korea, and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Goheung ranked first nationwide in 2019 and third in 2020.

A county official said, "We will continue to discover and promote various policies for return-to-farming, fishing, and village to create 'Return-to-Farming and Return-to-Village No.1! Happy Goheung where people come back!'"

Goheung=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shim Jeong-woo sevenshim@asiae.co.kr