Yangpyeong County Invests 10 Billion Won per Town in Danwol, Cheongun, and Yangdong
Responding to Population Decline and Improving Settlement Conditions
Full-Scale Efforts to Bridge East-West Disparities and Enhance Living Environments
In an era where population decline and the risk of regional extinction have become a reality, Yangpyeong County in Gyeonggi Province has launched a full-scale response to revitalize its eastern region.
According to Yangpyeong County on July 21, under the initiative named "Chaeum," the county will implement the "Yangpyeong Chaeum Project" from 2025 to 2029, investing a total of 30 billion won?10 billion won each?in the three eastern towns of Danwol-myeon, Cheongun-myeon, and Yangdong-myeon over five years.
This project aims to expand the living infrastructure to attract new residents and prevent outmigration, increase the population of long-term residents, and promote balanced regional development by narrowing the gap between the eastern and western areas through tailored development strategies suited to each region's characteristics.
Yangpyeong County, due to its proximity to the Seoul metropolitan area and its beautiful natural environment, has seen steady population growth in recent years, surpassing 129,000 residents as of 2025. It ranks first in population and second in growth rate among counties nationwide. However, beneath this overall growth, there are significant disparities in population and infrastructure between the eastern and western regions.
The western area, including Yangpyeong-eup and Yangseo-myeon, has experienced continuous growth due to its accessibility to the metropolitan area and favorable development prospects. In contrast, the eastern area?Danwol-myeon, Cheongun-myeon, and Yangdong-myeon?faces stagnation due to an aging population, outmigration of young people, and a lack of basic living infrastructure.
In response, Yangpyeong County selected three towns with populations under 5,000 and high risk of extinction as Chaeum Project sites through its own research study, and formed resident-led discovery teams to identify practical and sustainable projects.
In 2023, Yangpyeong County selected Danwol-myeon, Cheongun-myeon, and Yangdong-myeon as Chaeum Project target areas based on a research study that comprehensively analyzed six indicators: population status of each town, aging rate, extinction risk index, and future population estimates.
Subsequently, to identify realistic projects tailored to each area's conditions, discovery teams of around 20 residents per town?who are well-informed about local circumstances and highly motivated to participate?were formed. These teams hold regular workshops, resident briefings, field trips to advanced sites, and meetings. They are currently promoting various projects to address the population extinction crisis, improve settlement conditions, respond to declining school and student numbers, support returnees and newcomers, and improve insufficient social overhead capital (SOC).
Danwol-myeon, which borders Hongcheon County in Gangwon Province, is a border area with poor sports and cultural infrastructure, and is particularly affected by the outflow of its youth population. In response, the Danwol-myeon discovery team has identified the "Regional Vitality Sports Infrastructure Expansion Project" as the core initiative of the Chaeum Project.
By 2027, the plan is to build two soccer fields and an 18-hole park golf course on riverbank land in the Buan-ri and Hyangso-ri areas. This will not only improve the training environment for the Danwol Middle School girls' soccer team but also make it possible to host national-level sports competitions.
Additionally, tennis courts, futsal fields, barefoot walking trails, and parks will be developed to expand leisure spaces for local residents, with the aim of promoting health and increasing the number of long-term residents through connections with the existing leisure sports park.
Danwol-myeon, as a border area adjacent to Hongcheon County in Gangwon Province, suffers from poor industrial, cultural, and sports infrastructure, resulting in a sharp decline in the school-age population and severe outmigration of young people.
Despite these challenging conditions, the Danwol Middle School girls' soccer team has produced national team players and achieved runner-up at the National Sports Festival as the representative of Gyeonggi Province, but currently lacks even a practice field.
Alongside this, the plan is to build tennis courts, futsal fields, barefoot walking trails, and parks, linking them with the existing leisure sports park to simultaneously promote resident health, expand leisure spaces, foster sports talent, and revitalize the region.
As of June 2025, Cheongun-myeon has a population of 3,769, the smallest among Yangpyeong County's 12 towns. It has already entered a phase of severe low birth rates and super-aging.
To overcome the risk of population extinction, Cheongun-myeon is promoting the construction of the "Cheong Dream Center." The center, to be built on a site in Yongdu-ri and spanning three floors above ground, will feature a youth community and intergenerational rest area on the first floor, a youth care community on the second floor, and a youth cultural playroom and multipurpose meeting room on the third floor, all aimed at supporting youth settlement.
In addition, the operation of a welfare center for the elderly and children within the building is being considered in connection with the Basic Living Base Creation Project.
To this end, the discovery team has visited successful examples such as Youth Village in Deoksan-myeon, Jecheon, and Jebi Village in Goesan to benchmark best practices. Plans are also in place to support projects that attract child populations to sustain kindergartens and schools, as well as to expand infrastructure to boost tourism and the local economy.
Yangdong-myeon, located at the easternmost tip of Yangpyeong and bordering Hoengseong County and Wonju City in Gangwon Province, as well as Yeoju City in Gyeonggi Province, is a region where population decline is particularly pronounced.
According to a survey conducted by the Chaeum Project discovery team, to attract younger residents, it is urgent to expand educational infrastructure such as job opportunities, childcare for infants and toddlers, play facilities, and after-school education, as well as provide housing support for returnees and newcomers. In particular, children's education issues were identified as a major reason for leaving Yangdong-myeon.
Accordingly, Yangdong-myeon plans to build the "Chaeum Plus Complex Center" on a 4,416-square-meter site in Seokgok-ri, with three floors above ground. The first floor will house an infant and toddler care center, a rest cafe, and a shared kitchen; the second floor will include a health promotion room, a VR experience room, and other multipurpose spaces; and the third floor will provide after-school classrooms for elementary students and spaces for middle school after-school programs.
The Yangpyeong Chaeum Project is being promoted in connection with Gyeonggi Province's regional balanced development plan. The Danwol-myeon Regional Vitality Sports Infrastructure Expansion Project and the Yangdong-myeon Chaeum Plus Complex Center have been selected for the third round of the regional balanced development project, while the Cheongun-myeon Cheong Dream Center is set to apply for the third round of performance projects.
These projects will be carried out within a budget of 10 billion won per town over five years from 2025 to 2029.
Additionally, by linking the rural central area (Yongmun-myeon) with the surrounding basic hubs (Danwol, Cheongun, Yangdong, and Jipyeong), the county is working to improve residents' living environments. In particular, the three Chaeum areas will be further linked with rural agreement projects to maximize synergy effects.
Jeon Jinseon, Yangpyeong County Governor, attending the final report meeting of the Chaeum Project and delivering a greeting. Courtesy of Yangpyeong County
Yangpyeong County expects that upon completion of the Chaeum Project, improvements in settlement conditions, support for returnees and newcomers, and the expansion of insufficient SOC in the Chaeum areas will bring about tangible changes in balanced development between the eastern and western regions that residents can truly feel.
Jeon Jinseon, Governor of Yangpyeong County, stated, "Through the Chaeum Project in the eastern region of Yangpyeong?Danwol, Cheongun, and Yangdong?we will achieve balanced regional development," adding, "We will create an attractive Yangpyeong that fulfills the happiness and expectations of being a livable and desirable place to come."
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