Naju Oryun Village Selected in Ministry of Agriculture's 'Rural Space Maintenance' Contest

Published 15 Mar.2023 15:18(KST)

Naju City in Jeollanam-do has been finally selected as the target site for the ‘2023 Rural Space Maintenance Contest Project’ organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, with Oryun Village in Munpyeong-myeon chosen as the location.

According to the city on the 15th, the Rural Space Maintenance Contest Project focuses on improving the rural living environment by reorganizing indiscriminately developed and harmful elements such as livestock barns located within rural villages and creating the maintained areas into living SOC (Social Overhead Capital) spaces.

Oryun Village in Munpyeong-myeon, Naju City, selected as a target village for the Rural Spatial Improvement Project by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
[Photo by Naju City]

The city achieved the great success of being selected for the contest project for two consecutive years, following Geuman Village in Noan-myeon, one of the three famous villages in Honam, last year.

The project site, Oryun Village in Munpyeong-myeon, is a village where the birthplace of General Na Dae-yong, a mid-Joseon military officer and naval scientist known as Cheam (遞菴), and Sochungsa Shrine, which honors the general, as well as Bonggangsa Temple, are located.

General Na Dae-yong, who built the Turtle Ship and led successive victories in naval battles such as the Battle of Hansan Island under Admiral Yi Sun-sin, has a patriotic story that, along with the success of the movie ‘Hansan’ released last year, has steadily increased visits from student field trips and group tourists.

However, visitor satisfaction has been low due to odors from large-scale livestock facilities in the village, and the residents’ living difficulties caused by this have been prolonged for over 15 years.

Residents can finally resolve their long-standing wish thanks to the selection for this contest project.

This will also accelerate the implementation of ‘Maintenance and Tourism Resource Development of General Na Dae-yong’s Sochungsa Shrine (Jeollanam-do Monument No. 26),’ which is one of the 100 major pledges of the 8th elected administration.

The rural space maintenance of Munpyeong Oryun Village will be carried out over five years from next year to 2027, with a vision of ‘Following the Breath of General Na Dae-yong, a Clear Bamboo Forest Path, and a Clean Turtle Ship Village,’ investing a total of 18 billion KRW including 9 billion KRW in national funds (2.7 billion KRW from the province and 6.3 billion KRW from the city).

The city plans to demolish one large-scale pigsty (11 buildings, 5,194㎡) located in the village and three long-abandoned vacant houses, and purchase a site of 23,155㎡ for space regeneration.

The maintained space will include 10 buildings (70㎡ each) for temporary accommodation for foreign seasonal workers and rental housing for returnees to farming and rural areas, a smart farm and agricultural training center (3,200㎡), a Turtle Ship-themed multipurpose exchange yard (5,100㎡), and Samgang Oryun Chunghyogwan (400㎡).

A 660-meter access road connecting General Na Dae-yong’s birthplace, the exchange yard, Chunghyogwan, and Sochungsa Shrine will also be newly maintained as a unique experience path called the ‘Turtle Ship Theme Road’ (name).

More than 30-year-old deteriorated houses in the village will be improved through home repairs (50% self-payment) for a total of 12 houses selected through a resident demand survey to enhance living conditions.

Mayor Yoon Byung-tae said, “Following Geuman Village in Noan, we will make Munpyeong Oryun Village a hub for returning rural areas and the inflow of returnees to farming and rural areas through rural living environment improvement,” adding, “We will also do our best to revitalize tourism attraction by creating a historical and cultural space themed on General Na Dae-yong and the Turtle Ship.”

He added, “We will reexamine the achievements of General Na Dae-yong, the main figure in building the Turtle Ship, and promote the spirit of overcoming national crises and honor the general’s achievements through systematic maintenance and tourism resource development of related historical and cultural heritage.”