Goheung County Holds Resident Briefing Session on 'Smart Farming Village Development Project'

Abandoned School Transformed into 60 Residential Units for Young People
Smart Farming Village Project to Boost Local Settlement
Community Involvement Key to Revitalizing Goheung

Goheung County in South Jeolla Province (Governor Gong Youngmin) announced on August 22 that it will actively promote the Smart Farming Village Development Project to alleviate housing cost burdens for young workers and young returnees to farming and fishing villages, and to support stable settlement in the region.

This project will be funded with 6.4 billion KRW from the Local Extinction Response Fund and will create a total of 60 units, including 30 one-room units and 30 two-room units. The project is being expedited with the goal of completion by March next year, utilizing modular housing construction methods.

Goheung County is promoting the Smart Farming Village Development Project to alleviate housing cost burdens for young workers and young returnees to farming, fishing, and rural areas, and to support stable settlement in the region. Photo by Goheung County

The project site is the former Goheungseo Elementary School, which was merged with Goheungdong Elementary School in 1997. Since its closure, the site had been left unattended for a long period, resulting in environmental damage and ongoing complaints from residents. Through this project, the long-abandoned school is expected to be transformed into a residential space for young people and a new hub for smart farming.

In particular, to facilitate communication with local residents during the project, the county held a 'Smart Farming Village Development Project Resident Briefing Session' from August 4 to 8 for residents of eight villages near the project site. During the session, the purpose and plans of the project were explained in detail, and residents’ opinions were actively gathered.

At the briefing, residents expressed their expectations for improved housing stability for young people and revitalization of the local community. The county plans to incorporate the suggestions received into its operational plans.

A county official stated, "This resident briefing session was significant in that the county and the local community were able to share the project's vision and build consensus together. The Smart Farming Village Development Project will help resolve the shortage of student and youth housing resulting from the operation of the Suncheon National University Glocal University Aerospace and Smart Farm Goheung Campus, and furthermore, it will lay the foundation for achieving a population of 100,000 in Goheung by 2030."