Goyang Underground Passage and Yongin Abandoned Building Reborn as Smart Farms

Urban underground passages with low usage that have become crime-prone areas, as well as abandoned factory buildings left neglected for years, are being reborn as 'smart farms' where vibrant life flourishes.

On May 8, Gyeonggi Province announced that it had selected operators for its 'Social Innovation Smart Farm Establishment' project, which creates smart farms by utilizing idle spaces in urban and rural areas, and has officially launched the initiative.

This project will be carried out in two forms: urban smart farms and stay-type rural smart farms. Through a public contest, Farmfarm Agricultural Corporation and OneAcreFarm Agricultural Corporation were selected as project operators in early April.

Farmfarm Agricultural Corporation, chosen as the operator for the urban smart farm, will transform the Baekseok underground passage in Goyang, which has low usage, into a smart farm. Leveraging year-round strawberry production technology, the site will be developed into a multi-purpose space that includes a smart farm, an experiential education center, and a cafe.

Farmfarm Agricultural Corporation operates a donut-shaped smart farm and cafe in Gimpo. Through the production and sale of leafy vegetables using smart farm technology, as well as experiential education programs, the company recorded sales of 180 million won last year.

Gyeonggi Province is holding a briefing session at the Goyang underground passage, which will be transformed into a smart farm. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

OneAcreFarm, selected as the operator for the stay-type rural smart farm, plans to utilize an abandoned factory dormitory building in Yongin to establish a smart farm, providing nearby residents with opportunities to experience rural smart farming and participate in community activities.

OneAcreFarm is an agricultural corporation that has been producing high-quality leafy vegetables and herbs through smart farming for the past three years, achieving productivity 60 to 70 times higher than open-field farming. The company recorded annual sales of 1.09 billion won last year and expects an additional 20% growth this year.

The Social Innovation Smart Farm Establishment project presents an innovative model that transforms abandoned spaces into smart farms, considering both economic value and environmental sustainability. These corporations plan to expand customized smart farm models in each region, simultaneously addressing future food security and urban challenges.

Park Jongmin, Director of the Agricultural, Fisheries, and Life Sciences Bureau of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "The social innovation smart farm not only presents a vision for the future of agriculture, but will also contribute to solving urban and rural issues and revitalizing local communities. We hope that this successful model will spread throughout the community and become an industry that revitalizes people and cities."