Seven Awards from Organizations and Institutions
Secured 9 Billion Won in National and Provincial Funding
Goheung County in South Jeolla Province announced that its distinctive population policies have achieved significant results in various government and provincial-level evaluations throughout the year.
The county's ongoing population initiatives have led to awards from seven organizations and institutions amid competition with local governments nationwide, as well as securing 9 billion won in national and provincial funding.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety's public contest project, "Goheung Stay," has established itself as a leading settlement program for returnees to rural areas in Korea, winning the Grand Prize in the Infrastructure Improvement category at the "Korea Local Guardian Innovation Awards" hosted by the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee and News1.
Additionally, Goheung County demonstrated its strength by being the only local government in the country to win the "Return to Farming and Rural Integrated Platform Evaluation" organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for three consecutive years. The county also achieved the distinction of winning the "Korea Brand Hall of Fame" hosted by the Industrial Policy Research Institute for seven consecutive years, and the top prize in the "Return to Farming and Fishing Evaluation" hosted by South Jeolla Province for two consecutive years.
In the employment sector, Goheung County received the Excellence Award at the "National Local Government Job Awards" organized by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Companies and organizations directly supported by the county also received the Grand Prize in the "Social Economy Investment Attraction" category hosted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Social Enterprise Promotion Agency, as well as the top prize in the "Village Community Revitalization" category hosted by South Jeolla Province.
The county has also actively attracted national and provincial public contest projects aimed at overcoming the crisis of local extinction and promoting the return to farming and rural areas, achieving notable results. Last year, Goheung County secured the largest amount nationwide, 16 billion won, from the Local Extinction Response Fund. This year, it received an S grade in the evaluation and secured 8.8 billion won, ranking first in South Jeolla Province and second nationwide with a two-year total of 24.8 billion won.
As part of the "Construction of 500 Public Rental Housing Units by Region," the county is developing multi-family housing such as Jeonnam-style 10,000-won housing, youth public rental housing, and smart farming villages. To expand small-scale residential spaces by utilizing vacant houses in rural and fishing villages, the county secured 250 million won from a South Jeolla Province public contest fund and plans to begin full-scale implementation next year.
In addition, Goheung County was officially designated this year by the Ministry of Justice as a regional learning center for the Social Integration Program, operating weekly educational programs to help local foreigners adapt to society and support immigration, as part of its comprehensive population influx strategy.
An official from the county's Population Policy Office stated, "This year's achievements are the result of administrative reorganization focused on population policy and the accumulation of administrative know-how over many years," adding, "We will continue to solidify our status as the number one destination for returnees to farming and rural areas in Korea."
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