The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 30th that Sunchang-gun and Sinan-gun have been selected as the first target areas for the Rural Specialized District-type Rural Space Maintenance Project, introduced to restructure rural spaces and revitalize local economies.
A Rural Specialized District is a district designated by local governments under the Rural Space Restructuring Act to efficiently develop, utilize, and conserve rural spaces by concentrating and fostering functions such as residential, industrial, convergence industries, and landscape.
Following the enforcement of the Rural Space Restructuring Act in 2024, the Ministry introduced this project to encourage local governments to proactively discover rural space regeneration models based on rural space plans they establish. Through this project, if a city or county aims to spatially and functionally interconnect and foster two or more Rural Specialized Districts in rural areas, project funds ranging from 5 billion to 10 billion KRW over five years (50% national subsidy) will be provided for the installation and maintenance of buildings and facilities suitable for each district’s function, infrastructure development, and strengthening residents’ capabilities.
Sunchang-gun and Sinan-gun, selected for the Rural Specialized District support project for the first time, chose their target areas based on the regional development strategies of their currently established basic rural space plans, receiving high evaluations for the appropriateness of the target areas and functional linkage between districts.
Sunchang-gun designated the site in Gurim-myeon as a 'Rural Village Protection District' and plans to create a rural convergence industry district centered on the production, processing, distribution, and experience of forest products such as durup and bokbunja, together with the comprehensive distribution center for forest products under construction (scheduled for completion in 2025). In the Rural Village Protection District, rental housing and rest areas will be created for the increasing number of rural students and returnees to farming and rural areas. Meanwhile, in the rural convergence industry district, shared storage facilities and forest product cultivation practice education centers will be expanded, and related facilities will be sequentially concentrated to induce economic revitalization in the northwest region. Additionally, a mid- to long-term plan is underway to relocate warehouses and factories near houses within the Rural Village Protection District to the rural convergence district.
Sinan-gun designated a 72-hectare canola field in Palgeum-myeon, where the annual Canola Flower Festival is held under the theme 'Yellow Ribbon,' as a landscape agriculture district, creating walking trails and rest facilities for tourists. Adjacent to this, the rural convergence industry district will establish a 6th industry hub utilizing local resources such as canola by constructing canola oil processing facilities and a rural exchange experience complex. The plan includes processing 108 tons of canola seeds, which were previously discarded after the canola flower festival, into canola oil to increase the added value of local agricultural products. Nearby Wonsan Village will be designated as a Rural Village Protection District, with plans to create safe walking paths and provide residences for young workers and returnees through remodeling vacant houses.
Kim Boram, Director of the Rural Space Planning Division at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "It is significant that local governments have established concrete plans for creating Rural Specialized Districts under rural space plans." He added, "We plan to actively promote expanding project support and easing regulations within districts so that local governments can effectively utilize the Rural Specialized District system."
The Ministry plans to select additional new target areas through a second public contest within this year.
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