Sunchang-gun Promotes 'Family Stay Residential Facility Development Project'

Suncheon-gun, Jeonbuk is actively advancing the family stay-type residential facility development project, preparing for a strong leap as a hub for rural study-abroad programs.

According to the county on the 11th, the family stay-type residential facility development project aims to provide stable housing for families participating in rural study-abroad programs, helping urban children who come for study-abroad not only to experience short-term ecological education but also to support their long-term settlement in the region.

Perspective view of the residential-type stay facility project. [Photo by Sunchang-gun]

As a measure to attract population inflow, the county is making every effort to secure project sites and budgets and closely cooperate with related organizations, aiming to become a genuine center for rural study-abroad by building rural study-abroad residential facilities in all townships within the county.

In addition, in February, the county signed a business agreement with the Jeonbuk Provincial Office of Education to revitalize rural study-abroad programs, reaching an agreement to utilize education office-owned land as sites for rural study-abroad facilities when developing residential facilities.

Furthermore, in May, the county achieved a great success by being finally selected for the Jeollabuk-do rural study-abroad family stay-type residential facility public project, securing 3 billion KRW in project funds.

The county plans to invest additional county funds on top of the secured budget to complete 26 family stay-type residential units in two townships by 2024 and recruit rural study-abroad students.

Besides this, the county also plans to actively utilize public facilities and idle facilities throughout the region as rural study-abroad residential facilities.

They will remodel the Bangsan area in Ssangchi-myeon and the Nokdu General Jeon Bong-jun Hall, and continuously discover small-scale residential facilities such as vacant houses and private homes to actively use them as rural study-abroad residential facilities.

County Governor Choi Young-il said, “As the county is a rural area facing population issues, we plan to attract student families to link them to returning farming and rural migration. We will do our best to promote an effective rural study-abroad project, revitalize schools, and create a nationwide successful model that saves rural areas facing the crisis of local extinction.”

Meanwhile, starting with four rural study-abroad students from Seoul last year, 18 elementary school students from Seoul, Incheon, and the metropolitan area are participating in rural study-abroad this year, and currently, including their families, 31 people are living in Suncheon with high satisfaction.

Suncheon = Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jeong Young-gwon baekok@asiae.co.kr