Supporting Youth Settlement Through Startup Experiments
Utilizing Local Resources
Bonghwa County in North Gyeongsang Province announced on May 6, 2025, that it will actively promote the "Youth Branding Exploration Support Project" this year to support young people’s entrepreneurial activities and help them settle in the region.
The "Youth Branding Exploration Support Project" aims to provide young people with opportunities to plan and experiment with brands that reflect the resources and characteristics of the local area, thereby establishing a practical foundation for them to settle in the region.
This project has been implemented since 2024 using the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s Local Extinction Response Fund, and provides annual funding of approximately 100 million won per youth enterprise.
This year marks the second year of the project, and the county plans to provide close support to further develop the achievements of existing participating teams and help them connect their work to sustainable startup models.
Currently, five teams are participating in the project: Saramgwa Chorok, Bonghwa Youth Woodworking Studio Co., Bonghwa Chorok Shared Table Agricultural Corporation, Poe Station, and Gipsup. These teams are actively conducting various brand experiments utilizing local resources.
In particular, Bonghwa Chorok Shared Table operated the "Achieving the Highest Level of Rural Life" program in the Socheon-myeon area from April 20 to April 25, providing experiences focused on rural life and youth settlement. In May, a variety of programs are scheduled for tourists visiting Bonghwa and young people interested in settling in the area, drawing significant attention.
Poe Station operated the "Let’s Play in the Forest" playground program at the Baekdudaegan Arboretum from May 4 to May 6, and Bonghwa Youth Woodworking Studio held the "Collect Stamps, Visit the Woodworking Studio" event from May 2 to May 6.
Gipsup plans to present rural living programs involving soil, such as the "WORK-LAB" seedling planting experience, in the Dosim 3-ri area of Chunyang-myeon from May 9 to May 11.
An official from Bonghwa County stated, "The Youth Branding Exploration Support Project is an experimental platform that goes beyond simple startup support, helping young people settle in Bonghwa and continue to live here." The official added, "We plan to link and expand various policies in the future to make Bonghwa a place where young people want to stay."
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