On December 15, the Gangwon Provincial Government announced that it has secured 14.4 billion KRW in national funding (out of a total project cost of 37.8 billion KRW) for four new projects through this year’s government public contest programs.
By being newly selected for major public contest projects such as the Smart Orchard Specialized Complex Development Project, the Smart Horticultural Complex Infrastructure Project, and the Vegetable Shipping Adjustment Facility Support Project, the province plans to further strengthen the foundation for the transition to smart agriculture and the stabilization of distribution in the local fruit and horticulture sectors.
The Smart Orchard Specialized Complex Development Project was launched for the first time this year for the 2025-2027 period, with Yanggu County being selected. For the 2026-2028 period, four cities and counties in the province (Wonju, Taebaek, Jeongseon, and Cheorwon) were selected, marking the highest number nationwide.
This advanced orchard complex will be established by improving orchard production infrastructure, introducing disaster-resistant varieties, building disaster prevention facilities, and applying information and communication technology (ICT) as well as remote and automated equipment to enhance production efficiency and quality. The total project cost is 18.3 billion KRW (with 5.7 billion KRW in national funding) and will be implemented over three years.
The Smart Horticultural Complex Infrastructure Project (Hoengseong County) will receive a total of 3.5 billion KRW (2.5 billion KRW in national funding) from 2026 to 2028 to renovate aging horticultural facilities and modernize them with smart technology. The Vegetable Shipping Adjustment Facility Project (Pyeongchang County) will invest a total of 5 billion KRW (2 billion KRW in national funding) from 2025 to 2027 to build new cold storage facilities and renovate existing ones to regulate the shipping of cabbage and radish during the summer season.
In addition, the new Supply Adjustment Support Project to be launched next year will provide partial support for costs incurred in the process of adjusting the supply of highland cabbage and radish, with a total project cost of 11 billion KRW (4.5 billion KRW in national funding) planned.
In addition to these four new projects, the province has secured a total of 15.3 billion KRW (3.8 billion KRW in national funding) for nine ongoing annual projects, such as the modernization of facility horticulture and support for soil microorganism agents in areas affected by continuous cropping, to further accelerate the stable production of agricultural products and their supply to consumers.
Yeo Junghyup, Vice Governor for Administrative Affairs of Gangwon Province, stated, "Due to abnormal weather conditions and the aging rural population, the agricultural environment is becoming increasingly challenging, and the burden on the agricultural sector is growing day by day. By securing national funding and responding to future additional public contest projects, we will further expand the budget for facility horticulture and fruit sectors, and do our utmost to achieve sustainable agricultural development and increase farmers' incomes."
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