Gyeongbuk Province Selected for Ministry of Agriculture's Rural Convergence Industry District Contest for 5 Consecutive Years

Selected as Goryeong Strawberry District, Secured 1.5 Billion KRW in National Funding

Job Creation, Added Value Generation, and Core Industry Development

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Gyeongbuk Province has achieved the remarkable feat of being selected for five consecutive years since 2019 by having the ‘Goryeong Strawberry Rural Convergence Industry District’ chosen in the 2023 Rural Convergence Industry New District Creation Project, hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Gyeongbuk Provincial Government Office.

This public contest project was finally selected after document screening, on-site inspection, and presentation evaluation following nationwide local government applications in October last year. The selected Goryeong Strawberry Rural Convergence Industry District will receive a total project budget of 3 billion KRW (1.5 billion KRW national funding) from this year through 2026.

The Rural Convergence Industry District Creation Project designates areas where the production, manufacturing, processing, distribution, and tourism of agricultural products?covering primary, secondary, and tertiary industrial bases?are concentrated as rural convergence industry districts. It supports joint infrastructure facilities and equipment, product and brand development, and promotional marketing to simultaneously create jobs and added value.

The Goryeong Strawberry Rural Convergence Industry District covers a total area of 179 hectares across three myeon (townships)?Ssangnim-myeon, Daegaya-eup, and Deokgok-myeon?which are major strawberry production areas in Gyeongbuk. Plans include supplementing the infrastructure of the Ssangnim Nonghyup Agricultural Products Processing Center, establishing the Anlim Strawberry Village Startup Hub, fostering strawberry startups, and promoting and marketing the Goryeong strawberry brand.

Additionally, linked with this year’s selected Seed Industry Infrastructure Establishment Project and strawberry-related projects, as well as projects related to returning farming and rural migration, startups, and tourism, the district aims to achieve an annual sales increase of over 5%, create 100 jobs, foster 25 youth startups, certify 10 rural convergence industry companies, and reach an income of 60 million KRW per farm household by 2031.

Kim Ju-ryeong, Director of the Agriculture, Livestock and Distribution Bureau of Gyeongbuk Province, stated, “The selection of the Goryeong Strawberry Rural Convergence Industry District in the public contest is the result of communication and efforts between Gyeongbuk Province and Goryeong County. Through this project, we will do our best to establish Goryeong strawberries as a new specialized regional brand and create a new successful model of rural convergence industry where production, manufacturing, processing, distribution, experience, and tourism harmoniously coexist.”

Including this Goryeong strawberry district, there are a total of eight rural convergence industry districts in Gyeongbuk Province: Mungyeong Omija, Uiseong Garlic, Andong Yam, Yeongcheon Grape, Seongju Melon, Gyeongsan Jujube, and Yeongcheon Garlic. These are currently being developed as hubs for diversifying and advancing the regional economy.