Living in Two Areas 'Goheung Stay'... Gaining Nationwide Popularity

540 Households Applying for Next Year's Project... 45 to 1 Competition Rate
Consideration of Theme No. 2 Creation of 'Astronaut Village in Goheung'

Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Gong Yeong-min) is drawing nationwide attention with the ‘Two-Region Living Experience Goheung Stay’ (hereinafter Goheung Stay), a project promoted as part of the 2023 Ministry of the Interior and Safety public contest.

‘Goheung Stay’ provides living spaces for urban residents who are interested in Goheung and wish to stay regularly in the area for leisure, relaxation, and experiential purposes. The project supports various experience and resident exchange programs to attract a living population and revitalize the local economy.

Goheung County (Governor Gong Young-min) is drawing nationwide attention with the "Two-Region Living Experience Goheung Stay," a project promoted as part of the 2023 Ministry of the Interior and Safety public contest. Photo by Goheung County

Goheung Stay purchased the former KEPCO employee housing, which had been left unused in the city, remodeled the interior spaces, and improved the external environment. The completion ceremony was held in July this year, and from August to December, the first phase is operating 12 households.

The county plans to operate the second phase from January to March next year. As a result of recruitment held for two weeks starting from the 20th of last month, 540 households from across the country, including the metropolitan area, applied, recording an average competition rate of 45 to 1.

In particular, a Goheung Stay video introduced on YouTube in early last month surpassed 1.7 million views, playing a significant role in promoting Goheung as inquiries about participation applications flooded in.

The second phase participants will be finally selected through a thorough two-step screening process divided into quantitative evaluation such as age and number of participants per household, and qualitative evaluation such as motivation for application and promotion plans, selecting 12 households.

Additionally, various experience programs will be operated for the second phase participating households, such as personal garden experiences, Goheung figure explorations, and the Goheung Wandering Group, allowing participants to stay in Goheung and mingle with local residents to experience the charm of Goheung.

Governor Gong Yeong-min said, “Goheung Stay was established to provide a comfortable home base where urban residents can take their first step in Goheung,” adding, “We will strive to make it a catalyst for achieving a population of 100,000 in Goheung by 2030 and a nationwide model case by ensuring solid operation.”

Meanwhile, starting with the first Goheung Stay, Goheung-gun is reviewing the establishment of the second Goheung Stay next year themed ‘Astronaut Village in Goheung,’ aiming to provide more opportunities for urban residents to connect with Goheung.