Selected 7 Regions... Integrated Support from 7 Ministries
Development of Housing and Sports Facilities and Job Linkage
On the 2nd, seven ministries including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced the selection of seven locations as Regional Vitality Towns: Inje-gun in Gangwon, Yesan-gun in Chungnam, Goesan-gun in Chungbuk, Damyang-gun in Jeonnam, Namwon-si in Jeonbuk, Geochang-gun in Gyeongnam, and Cheongdo-gun in Gyeongbuk.
Perspective view of the Regional Vitality Town in Inje-gun, Gangwon / Image provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
Regional Vitality Towns refer to rural villages combining housing, culture, and welfare, created to meet the demand of retirees and young people from the metropolitan area who wish to settle in local regions. The purpose is to resolve issues such as difficulty in securing quality housing and lack of infrastructure, which make migration to local areas challenging.
Accordingly, Inje-gun will develop 90 townhouse and youth rental housing units within walking distance of the KTX Inje Station, scheduled to open in 2027. A sports center will also be constructed. Goesan-gun will supply 40 townhouse units and detached house plots targeting retirees and returnees to farming and rural living, and create smart farms to transform the entire village into a garden.
Damyang-gun will build 500 housing units in an area 20 minutes from Gwangju, utilizing existing infrastructure. It will provide an artist-specialized complex and a park golf course to create an environment where residents can enjoy leisure and hobbies. Namwon-si will establish a Regional Vitality Town at an altitude of 600 meters on the slopes of Jirisan, consisting of 36 townhouses, 32 detached houses, and 10 tiny houses (temporary housing). Nearby Herb Valley will be used to provide jobs.
Geochang-gun targets professional retirees. In addition to housing and sports facilities, it plans to create a university-linked retirement village (UBRC) to enable lifelong education services.
The government explained that most of the areas are near metropolitan regions, allowing the use of existing living infrastructure such as medical and educational facilities. It also plans to diversify the types and methods of housing supply in Regional Vitality Towns and apply energy-saving technologies and barrier-free designs.
Moon Seong-yo, Director of the Land and Urban Office at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "The selected areas will become attractive residential spaces based on excellent locations," adding, "Regional Vitality Towns will serve as a catalyst to improve local living conditions."
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