Over the Next Five Years, "Creating Rural Spaces Where People Want to Live" Project to Be Launched from Next Year
Focus on Hoengseong's Eastern Living Zones: Anheung, Dunnae, Cheongil, and Gangnim-myeon
On May 12, Hoengseong County in Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Myunggi) announced that it has been selected as a final recipient in the “2025 Rural Agreement Public Contest” promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. As a result, Hoengseong County will receive up to 30 billion KRW in national funding over the next five years to create a rural space where anyone would want to live, starting next year.
A view of Hoengseong County Office, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province. Photo by Hoengseong County Office
The Rural Agreement promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is a package-type support project in which local governments establish a development direction for rural regeneration activation areas, sign an agreement with the ministry, and jointly invest in the development plan.
For this contest, Hoengseong County planned its project to suit the eastern living zones of Anheung, Dunnae, Cheongil, and Gangnim-myeon, based on a review of accessibility to basic living services and analysis of surveys.
In addition, the county formed a public-private governance system, including a Policy Review Committee, Administrative Council, and Living Zone Promotion Committee, to gather diverse opinions. It also proactively prepared for the smooth implementation of the rural agreement by enacting relevant ordinances and reorganizing its administrative structure.
Over the next five years, Hoengseong County will carry out a total of nine projects, including revitalizing rural centers and developing basic living hubs, with the goals of improving housing and settlement conditions, revitalizing jobs and the local economy, expanding social services, and enhancing rural spaces. The county also plans to create synergy effects by linking these with 25 other projects, including city and county capacity-building initiatives.
Park Yonggyun, head of Hoengseong County’s Urban Transportation Division, said, “Through the rural agreement, we will expand living SOC facilities and improve accessibility to living services,” adding, “We will also develop various policies to respond to the challenges of an aging population and the risk of depopulation.”
Meanwhile, Hoengseong County and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will finalize the total project budget through expert review and sign the agreement in the first half of next year.
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