Jindo County Wins Grand Prize in 'Experience Life in Rural Areas' Program

Emphasizing Uniqueness Through Localized Experience Programs

Jindo County, Jeonnam (Governor Kim Heesu) announced on the 24th that Gileunpuleumi Village (led by Lee Jaebyung) recently received the Grand Prize (Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Award) at the '2024 Best Practices in Experiencing Rural Life' competition.

'Experiencing Rural Life' is a project that supports urban residents in finding jobs and living for extended periods in rural areas, providing opportunities to interact with local residents and supporting their settlement in farming and fishing villages.

At the 2024 Rural Living Best Practice Competition, Lee Jaebyung, representative of Gireunpurmi Village (second from the left), is receiving the grand prize and posing for a commemorative photo. Photo by Jindo County

In this competition, the final winners were selected through presentation evaluations among the top five villages (Jeonnam, Chungbuk, two from Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam) that passed the first round of document screening out of 120 villages operating the 'Experiencing Rural Life' program for return-to-farming and return-to-village participants.

Gileunpuleumi Village was highly praised for offering a variety of experiences to 16 participants from 12 households over six months in the first half (April to June) and the second half (September to November), including farming and fishing village experiences, island tours (Gwanmaedo, Jodo), traditional culture (buknori, Arirang, folk songs), making Hongju, cooking experiences using turmeric-based local specialties, volunteer work, and local exploration. The village further distinguished itself by incorporating unique experiences that highlight the characteristics of the Jindo area, setting it apart from other regions.

Additionally, to help participants settle stably in Jindo, the village provided job placement support and prioritized residence in the 'House for Return-to-Farming Residents' to alleviate housing concerns. Through attentive mentoring and various efforts, seven participants from this year have moved to Jindo.

A county official stated, "This award will serve as an important opportunity to widely promote the charm of Jindo, including its unique culture and beautiful nature," and added, "We will continue to offer practical experience opportunities to prospective residents hoping to return to farming and rural life, and prepare various activities to promote interaction with local residents."

Meanwhile, Jindo County has achieved a record-breaking performance in county administration in 2024, winning 46 awards including the Dasan Mokmin Grand Prize and various central government evaluations, and securing over 100 billion won in project funding for two consecutive years.