Jeongsan Donghwa Vitality Town Formalized Through Government Agreement
A Comprehensive Living Hub Integrating Housing, Jobs, and Care Services
Cheongyang County in South Chungcheong Province is formalizing its mid- to long-term rural settlement strategy focused on the Sandong region through an agreement with the central government, officially launching a region-led development model.
On the 24th, Cheongyang County announced that it had signed a regional development investment agreement with central government ministries to promote the "Jeongsan Donghwa Vitality Town Development Project."
Through this agreement, a cooperative system has been established in which the government provides administrative and financial support in a package format for the rural settlement strategy designed by the county.
The regional development investment agreement is a system in which local governments establish mid- to long-term development plans tailored to local conditions, and the central government conducts a comprehensive review and provides support through inter-ministerial coordination.
This is seen as a structural policy shift, as it allows regions to take the initiative in implementing strategic projects, moving away from the previous model of centrally led, single-project approaches.
The Jeongsan Donghwa Vitality Town project, which was selected through the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s integrated regional vitality town competition, has now formalized its implementation foundation through this agreement after completing preliminary administrative procedures.
The county plans to launch the project in phases, with groundbreaking scheduled for 2026 and completion targeted for December 2028.
The project site is located in Seojeong-ri, Jeongsan-myeon, and aims to create a complex living hub linking the four Sandong region townships: Jeongsan, Mok, Cheongnam, and Jangpyeong.
The county envisions building a rural settlement model that integrates residential, employment, healthcare and care, education, and cultural functions, simultaneously encouraging population inflow and settlement. The name "Donghwa" (Harmony) embodies the goal of creating a community where newcomers and existing residents coexist in harmony.
The Vitality Town will sequentially establish family-stay residential complexes, multipurpose welfare centers, youth and return-to-farming/startup spaces, small business support programs, and integrated care services tailored for the elderly. Specialized projects such as youth table tennis training and rural study abroad programs will also be implemented in parallel.
Kim Donggon, Governor of Cheongyang County, stated, "The Jeongsan Donghwa Vitality Town is Cheongyang's core strategy to address the crisis of local extinction," adding, "We will foster it as a representative complex living hub for the Sandong region."
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