7 Million Won Project Fund Support
16 Sites Selected Including 2 in Gyeongbuk
Two village enterprises recommended by Gyeongbuk Province were both selected in the ‘2024 Excellent Village Enterprises’ evaluation hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
The Excellent Village Enterprises are selected annually by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety from advanced village enterprises recommended by each city and province.
Members of the Pohang 'Dongne Unni Cooperative,' selected as an excellent village enterprise by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, gathered in one place.
The selection criteria focus on village enterprises that contribute to the spread of excellent cases by creating jobs using local resources based on community spirit and public interest, and solving local problems.
In the 2024 Excellent Village Enterprises selection, 32 village enterprises nationwide competed, and after document and presentation evaluations, 16 village enterprises were finally selected.
Gyeongbuk Province announced that two enterprises, ‘Dongne Unni Cooperative’ in Pohang City and ‘Gumi Local Food Cooperative’ in Gumi City, were selected as excellent village enterprises and will receive 70 million KRW in project funds along with support for promotion and sales channels.
In particular, ‘Dongne Unni Cooperative’ received high praise as an excellent case from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in this evaluation, marking a remarkable achievement of producing excellent village enterprises for nine consecutive years in Gyeongbuk Province.
‘Dongne Unni Cooperative’ in Pohang City was established in 2019 to revitalize the local community by providing a community space for residents, especially career-interrupted women living in old apartment complexes in the downtown area, who balance childcare and work.
They operate a caf? that residents can easily visit, offer various cultural classes and one-day workshops, and provide free spaces for resident clubs and small gatherings, serving as a beloved community hub for local residents.
They also regularly hold flea markets and joint purchases of local agricultural and marine products in cooperation with local small business owners, and support sharing activities for vulnerable groups and birthday celebrations for elderly living alone together with residents.
Since last year, they have been conducting the ‘Senior Happiness Project,’ an outing event for local seniors at the caf?.
‘Gumi Local Food Cooperative’ was established in 2018 to support stable sales channels for local small and medium-sized farms and to provide consumers with fresh and healthy local food.
They operate a direct sales store supplying fresh agricultural products to consumers in cooperation with 146 local small and medium farms, focusing on minimizing distribution costs to maximize farm income.
Every Saturday, they hold a farmers’ direct transaction market in a local idle space with participation from about 50 farms, promoting the excellence of local agricultural products and receiving great support from local residents.
They conduct various educational programs and campaigns to promote the excellence of local food and environmental protection, and provide social services to vulnerable groups through annual kimchi sharing events and local food sharing events.
Hwang In-su, Director of the Social Economy and Livelihood Division of Gyeongbuk Province, said, “Gyeongbuk Province will focus on customized education, management consulting, promotion, and sales support tailored to each growth stage to strengthen village enterprises, and will strive to discover various excellent models to create nationwide successful cases of village enterprises.”
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