Gyeongbuk Province Selects This Year's Outstanding 'Return-to-Fishing and Return-to-Farming Residents and Eoulrim Villages'

Gyeongbuk Provincial Government Office.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Gwiyeol] Gyeongbuk Province has selected ‘Mr. Park Jeong-seok (Pohang, 33)’ as an outstanding return-to-fishing and return-to-rural resident and ‘Josari Village in Songra-myeon, Buk-gu, Pohang’ as an outstanding Yoorim Village under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries this year.

The selection of outstanding return-to-fishing and return-to-rural residents and Yoorim Villages is to discover and reward excellent cases such as the successful settlement of return-to-fishing and return-to-rural residents and the formation of a community culture among returnees, multicultural families, and existing residents. The outstanding return-to-fishing and return-to-rural resident award has been implemented since 2016, and the Yoorim Village award since 2019 by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

The selection targeted those who returned to fishing or rural areas within the last five years (since January 1, 2017) and fishing villages with a total of five or more return-to-fishing, return-to-rural, or multicultural households. Applications were accepted until the 15th of last month, followed by announcement evaluations earlier this month to make the decision.

‘Park Jeong-seok (Pohang)’, who was selected as the outstanding return-to-fishing and return-to-rural resident, quit his job as a deep-sea fishing vessel navigator after eight years and returned to his hometown Pohang in 2017 to engage in coastal fisheries. He has appeared on the TV program Saengsaeng Jeongbotong and on the YouTube channel Fishing Village 24 Hours.

Park Jeong-seok (Pohang), selected as a target for return-to-fishing and return-to-village programs.

He was highly evaluated for providing abundant information and direct counseling to those wishing to return to fishing.

Cash prizes are awarded to outstanding return-to-fishing and return-to-rural residents. (Grand Prize 1,000,000 KRW, Excellence Award 500,000 KRW, Merit Award 300,000 KRW)

The ‘Josari Village in Pohang’, selected as the top Yoorim Village, conducted a local food development program with return-to-fishing and return-to-rural residents, remodeled the fishing village office to use it as a space for education and meetings shared by returnees and existing residents.

Additionally, they received high praise for efforts to revise the fishing village management regulations to facilitate easier membership in the fishing village association by opening it up.

The Yoorim Village cash prizes are Grand Prize (5,000,000 KRW), Excellence Award (3,000,000 KRW), and Merit Award (1,000,000 KRW).

Kim Seong-hak, Director of the Marine and Fisheries Bureau of Gyeongbuk Province, said, “Since various fishing startups are possible by utilizing fishing village resources, much interest from the younger generation is needed,” adding, “The province will spare no support to discover various projects for the settlement of return-to-fishing and return-to-rural residents and to achieve mutual development with fishing village residents.”

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