"Try 'Returning to Farming' Before Deciding" Seoul City Supports 60% of Stay Expenses for Applicants

Recruitment of 60 Households for Residential Farming Education Including Training and Practice in 9 Regions Nationwide such as Hongcheon, Jecheon, and Yeongju
Support Covering 60% of Living and Education Costs for Prospective Farmers Over 10 Months

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 6th that it is recruiting 60 households to participate in the ‘Residential-type Return-to-Farming Support Project,’ which allows participants to live for up to 10 months in nine locations nationwide, including Hongcheon, Jecheon, and Yeongju, to decide whether to return to farming, until the 27th.

Seoul supports 60% of the living expenses and accident insurance premiums for citizens participating in the project to facilitate their return to farming and rural living. Now in its sixth year, the ‘Seoul Residential-type Return-to-Farming Support Project’ is an on-site residential education program for Seoul citizens wishing to return to farming, allowing them to live in rural areas for a certain period and experience the entire process of various farming techniques.

To address the shortage of rural labor caused by the decrease in foreign seasonal agricultural workers, Seoul connects local farms in need of labor with the ‘Residential-type Return-to-Farming Support Project trainees.’ The plan is to support not only the acquisition of farming skills but also the opportunity to earn economic income.

Meanwhile, a survey of 157 households who completed the training course from 2017, when Seoul started the ‘Seoul Residential-type Return-to-Farming Support Project,’ through 2020 found that 78 households (49.7%), about half of the participants, settled in rural areas.

Including 44 households planning to return to farming or rural living, 122 households (77.7%)?more than two-thirds of the participants in the Seoul Residential-type Return-to-Farming Support Project?were found to have settled in rural areas after the training.

Park Dae-woo, Director of Economic Job Planning at Seoul City, said, "The ‘Residential-type Return-to-Farming Education’ serves as a guide to reduce trial and error during the settlement process after returning to farming," adding, "We hope that participants realize their dream of stable rural settlement at the residential-type return-to-farming school, which is equipped with accommodations for each household, personal gardens, training centers, and convenience facilities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.