Selected for Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Public Project
To Be Operated by Social Enterprise After Completion
Gyeongbuk Province announced on the 2nd that Cheongdo County in Gyeongbuk has been finally selected for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' 2025 "Vacant House Regeneration Project to Respond to Rural Extinction" along with Gangjin in Jeonnam and Namhae in Gyeongnam, securing 1.05 billion KRW in national funding.
The Vacant House Regeneration Project to Respond to Rural Extinction is a new initiative launched this year, aiming to revitalize rural areas by renovating increasing numbers of vacant houses to attract more residents to rural communities.
Over the next three years, a total project budget of 2.1 billion KRW per district will be invested to remodel vacant houses into spaces where local residents and newcomers can coexist, such as residential and workation facilities, cultural and experiential venues, and startup spaces.
The core of this project especially lies in the participation of the private sector, including local residents. From planning to operation, the overall process will be co-designed with local governments, and a project promotion council including residents of the target areas will be formed to enhance the sustainability of the project.
Cheongdo County, selected in this round, will transform 10 vacant houses in the Daro-ri, Samshin-ri, and Songgeum-ri areas of Hwayang-eup into 8 village hotels, 1 village cinema, and 1 village bookstore. The social enterprise Darorin Co., Ltd., a private company active in the area, will be responsible for operating these facilities after development. Among the 8 village hotels, 3 will be for long-term stays, 2 for short-term stays, and 3 as guesthouses, which will not only attract tourists but also support the successful settlement of future returnees and newcomers to rural areas.
Gyeongbuk Province plans to thoroughly prepare for similar project applications and project discovery in the future, and upon completion of this year's rural village idle resource (vacant house) survey, will establish vacant house maintenance plans for each city and county. This will enhance the utilization of idle rural resources, improve rural residential environments, and promote the influx of residents into rural communities.
In addition, from the second half of this year, the province will also promote the Rural Vacant House Bank Activation Support Project, a new initiative by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, which is expected to help address housing issues for incoming rural residents.
Kim Juryoung, Director of the Agricultural and Livestock Distribution Bureau of Gyeongbuk Province, said, "With the selection of this new project, we will actively respond to the issue of rural population decline by ensuring that returnees and newcomers can settle in rural areas with peace of mind."
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