Building a New Hub for Future Agriculture
Integrating Digital Farming and Insect Industries
There was a palpable sense that Yecheon County, which has been expanding the boundaries of agriculture into technology and industry with the weighty expectation of a "new beginning," has now officially stepped onto the national stage with this designation.
On December 2, Yecheon County (Governor Kim Hakdong) was finally selected as a "Green Bio Industry Promotion Zone" through a public contest by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, marking a significant turning point in the transformation of the region's agricultural system.
The fact that Yecheon County was named in this key project to foster bio-based agricultural and life sciences as a national strategic industry signifies that the government has officially recognized the policy and industrial value of the future agriculture projects the county has been pursuing.
The Green Bio Promotion Zone is a designation granted to regions equipped with an integrated ecosystem encompassing research and development, production, and commercialization by industrializing biological resources such as microorganisms and insects.
Once designated, companies are granted eligibility to participate in nationally funded projects and receive preferential admission points. In addition, land and facilities within the zone can be leased to the private sector through negotiated contracts, greatly improving the environment for attracting businesses.
This selection is the result of the tangible achievements of Yecheon County's focused efforts to develop the Third Agricultural and Industrial Complex and its digital agricultural innovation strategy. The Third Agricultural and Industrial Complex, currently being established in Sinwol-ri, Bomun-myeon, covers 18.1 hectares and is expected to serve as new industrial land that will strengthen links with upstream and downstream agricultural industries, driving the expansion of the region's agricultural industrial structure.
In addition, the "Digital Innovation Agriculture Town" being developed in Maechang-ri, Jibo-myeon, with a total project cost of 60 billion won and covering approximately 20 hectares, is a core pillar of Yecheon's future agriculture. Designed as a cluster that includes an insect and sericulture industry hub, rental smart farms, and vertical farms, it is expected to elevate Yecheon County as a strategic hub for the insect and green bio industries.
Kim Hakdong, Governor of Yecheon County, stated, "The selection of the Green Bio Promotion Zone is the moment when the preparation and investment we have made to become a center of advanced agriculture have been nationally recognized," adding, "We will foster agriculture as a definitive new growth industry for the region and strengthen our future competitiveness."
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