Habukmyeon Takes First Place in Rural Development
at the 12th Happy Farming Village Creation Contest
Recognized for Resident-Led Initiatives and
Sustainable Community Hub Operations
Habukmyeon in Yangsan City, Gyeongsangnam-do, has been honored with first place in the Gyeongsangnam-do Rural Development category at the 12th Happy Farming Village Creation Contest.
The Happy Farming Village Creation Contest is a nationwide competition hosted annually by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to discover and share outstanding cases from rural areas.
The competition covers four main areas: the Rural Development category, which evaluates the establishment of rural complex service hubs and the delivery of services to surrounding villages; the Village Creation category, which assesses resident-led achievements in culture and welfare, landscape and environment, and income and experiential activities; the Vacant House Regeneration category, which reviews cases of utilizing idle facilities and vacant houses; and the Outstanding Resident category, which selects activists who excel in community participation and activities.
Since launching a comprehensive maintenance project for the township center in 2012, Habukmyeon has created hub spaces and worked to enhance residents' cultural and welfare opportunities. Recognized for these achievements, it was selected for the Central Area Revitalization Project in 2019, and received high marks for establishing a service delivery system that covers not only the central area but also the surrounding villages.
In particular, the Tongdo Art Village Cooperative has stably operated the hub space since 2016, laying a foundation for sustainability over nearly a decade. The cooperative's establishment of a self-sustaining management system-through resident cultural programs, running a caf?, and steady revenue growth-was highly praised by the judges.
Additionally, the attempt to present three cultural classes (Senior Model, Spoon Nanta, and Ocarina), operated at the hub space, as a musical-style performance during the on-site evaluation drew significant attention.
An official from the Yangsan City Regeneration Strategy Division stated, "This award is a valuable achievement made possible by the voluntary participation and cooperation of village residents," adding, "We will continue to do our utmost to enhance sustainable rural vitality by strengthening resident capabilities and improving living conditions."
Kim Sangcheol, Secretary General of Habukmyeon, said, "I am very pleased to have won first place in Gyeongsangnam-do and to have received the prize money," adding, "This result was made possible thanks to the passionate participation of residents and the wholehearted support from Yangsan City and the Yangsan City Urban Regeneration Support Center. Moving forward, we will continue to demonstrate positive changes in rural hub spaces through resident-led activities."
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