Gangjin County Governor Kang Jin-won: "The Future of Gangjin Agriculture Lies in Youth Success Stories"

Visiting Farmers for Direct On-Site Communication

[Gangjin=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-su] Kang Jin-won, the mayor of Gangjin County, visited and encouraged farmers who are passionately engaged in agriculture on the 22nd.

The mayor visited five agricultural sites, including a young farmer who returned to his hometown and is diligently cultivating crops while expanding his business, and a model farm known for consistent volunteer work and active cooperation with county administration, spending time communicating directly with residents and offering encouragement.

Jo Seok-hee (35), who operates a 700-pyeong shiitake mushroom farm in Daegu-myeon, was formerly an office worker at a telecommunications company. He quit his job and returned to his hometown with his wife at the age of 30 to start the shiitake mushroom farm.

He traveled to China several times to learn mushroom cultivation techniques and devoted himself to shiitake mushroom research. As a result, he produces high-quality shiitake mushrooms and shiitake mushroom spawn, currently generating annual sales of 700 million KRW, showcasing the future of young farmers in Gangjin.

Lee Tae-heon (49), who cultivates cherry tomatoes and Shine Muscat grapes, is also a young farmer who returned to his hometown in 2004. Settling in Daegu-myeon, he has quietly contributed to the development of Gangjin agriculture while raising three children.

Mayor Kang Jin-won said, “The future of Gangjin agriculture lies in the hands of young farmers,” and encouraged them by saying, “Their silent challenge without fear of failure is inspiring.” He added, “To solidify the economic foundation of Gangjin, where the primary industry accounts for 71%, we will gradually increase support to up to 30% of the total budget.”

On the same day, he also met and encouraged Noh Jo-hee (54), who operates a 3,000-pyeong pear orchard in Daegu-myeon and has been steadily volunteering as the president of the Daegu-myeon Youth Association.

Noh serves as the president of the Daegu-myeon Youth Association and has been a team leader for the forest management project operated by the Marine and Forestry Department for 20 years. He voluntarily cuts and clears fallen trees when typhoons and other difficulties strike the area, setting an example for the local community through his volunteer work and active cooperation with county administration.

Mayor Kang said, “With the firm belief of ‘Gangmun Hyundap (康問現答),’ meaning ‘finding answers to Gangjin’s problems on site,’ we will listen to farmers’ voices at agricultural sites and gather their opinions as much as possible to create a development direction for Gangjin agriculture.” He outlined plans for field administration in various sectors including elderly farmers, second-generation family businesses, young farmers, returnees to farming, fisheries, forestry, and livestock.

Meanwhile, Gangjin County has significantly increased next year’s main budget by 18.8 billion KRW compared to this year to improve income and competitiveness in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and livestock industries, which account for more than 70% of the local industrial structure. The budget related to the primary industry, which stands at about 24.9% of this year’s budget, will be expanded to 27.5% next year.

Gangjin=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-su gabrielw@asiae.co.kr

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