"Youth Badamaeul" to Be Established Near Songseok Port in Seocheon... Population Inflow Expected

25 Rental Housing Units to Be Built with 10 Billion Won Investment
Integrated Support for Young Returnees to the Fishing Industry in Seocheon County
Youth Badamaeul Project Aims to Attract and Retain Young Fishermen

Songseokri, Maseomyeon, Seocheon County, selected for the Youth Badamaeul Development Project competition.

On April 24, Chungnam Province announced that Seocheon County had been selected for the "2025 Youth Badamaeul Development Project" competition, organized by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, securing a total project budget of 10 billion won, including 5 billion won in national funding.

The Youth Badamaeul Development Project is designed to provide integrated support for housing and employment for young returnees to the fishing industry. The province plans to establish a rental single-family housing complex on a 7,790-square-meter site in Songseokri, Maseomyeon, Seocheon County by 2027.

The housing complex will consist of a total of 25 units, including 10 family-type single-family houses and 15 studio-type units. It will also be equipped with community facilities, including a shared childcare center.

The housing complex is located 6 kilometers from Seocheon-eup, offering excellent access to existing villages and public facilities such as elementary schools, making it suitable for young fishermen with children.

Aerial View of Community Facilities Established in Cheongnyeonbada Village

Songseokri has a wealth of jobs related to the fishing and seafood industries, including Songseok Port, the Songseok Fishing Village Association, and seaweed processing companies. Although young returnees to the fishing industry have been moving to the area every year, many have left due to a lack of available housing.

In response, since the first half of last year, the province has proposed the creation of a housing complex for young fishermen to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. With this year's competition project focusing on integrated support for housing and employment, the province has concentrated its administrative efforts on identifying suitable locations.

The province expects that once the Youth Badamaeul is established, it will serve as a catalyst for population inflow to Seocheon County, which is facing challenges such as aging and population decline, by improving settlement conditions and linking jobs in the fishing industry.

Jeon Sangwook, Director of the Provincial Bureau of Oceans and Fisheries, stated, "Youth Badamaeul will serve as a foundation for revitalizing fishing villages and maintaining sustainable fishing communities by attracting outstanding young fishermen. We will continue to identify fishing villages where housing and jobs in the fishing industry can be linked."