Village Living Lab Empowers Residents as Policy Leaders
A New Model for Responding to Population Decline
Sangju City has demonstrated the effectiveness of its on-the-ground response to the population decline crisis, earning the highest level of government recognition. Sangju City announced that it received the Prime Minister's Award at the "2025 Population Decline Response Best Practice Competition" hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on December 18.
This marks the second consecutive year that Sangju City has received a government award in the same field, following last year's Minister of the Interior and Safety Award, thereby being recognized for both the continuity and achievements of its population policies.
This competition was organized to discover and promote outstanding policies in response to the structural challenges of regional extinction and population decline. Local governments from across the country participated and were comprehensively evaluated on the creativity, feasibility, and sustainability of their policies.
The reason behind Sangju City's award is its "Resident-Led Village Living Lab" project. In this initiative, residents directly diagnose local issues and design and implement solutions, which has been highly praised for simultaneously revitalizing the community and attracting new residents.
It was particularly noted for bringing about tangible changes in small rural villages that have been severely affected by population decline.
This project was selected for Gyeongsangbuk-do's population vitality grant program, securing a total project budget of 1,014 million won. It was also chosen as an outstanding case at the "2025 Local Era Expo" organized by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, thereby publicly demonstrating the policy's effectiveness.
A Sangju City official stated, "The administration is focusing on its role as a facilitator so that residents themselves can drive changes in their villages," adding, "We will actively respond to the rural extinction crisis by fostering sustainable villages where both the daily and permanent populations can naturally increase."
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