Gangjin-gun's 'Vacant House Remodeling Project' Draws Attention as a Solution to Population Decline

Increase Remodeling Cost Up to 70 Million KRW, Quick Move-in Inquiries Continue

Kang Jin-won, Gangjin County Governor, Inspects Vacant House Remodeling Support Project Site

Kang Jin-won, the governor of Gangjin County, visited the vacant house remodeling project site in Byeongyeong-myeon on the 11th to check the progress.

According to the county on the 12th, the vacant house remodeling project, which began with the launch of the 8th local government administration, is evaluated as a niche strategy that revitalizes rural areas by remodeling vacant houses that have become eyesores due to population decline and lack of residents, and further attracts returnees to farming or rural areas, thereby increasing the population.

If a vacant house is leased to the county, remodeling costs of 50 million KRW for a 5-year lease and 70 million KRW for a 7-year lease are supported, and up to 30 million KRW is provided when moving in after remodeling the vacant house.

Vacant house sales are also conducted. Vacant houses purchased by the county are demolished and used as sites for new modular housing construction.

Currently, there are plans to build a total of five modular houses in Gundoeng, Doam, and Omcheon-myeon. The remodeled vacant houses and modular houses will recruit residents in connection with agricultural and fishing village study programs, and if vacancies occur, the program will be expanded to general returnees to farming and rural areas.

As of the 10th, there have been 60 remodeling applications in the county, of which 27 houses were selected through the review by the Gangjin County Vacant House Review Committee. The county plans to hold a second review committee around October for additional selections.

(On the right) Gang Jin-won, the county governor, is visiting the vacant house remodeling project site in Byeongyeong-myeon to check the progress.
[Photo by Gangjin County]

The Vacant House Review Committee is a public-private cooperative body composed of 11 members, including the vice county governor as chairman, the head of the Rural Development Promotion Division as vice chairman, 5 ex officio members, and 6 appointed members.

The review committee plays various roles beyond simply reviewing candidates, from discovering houses to persuading owners, and is recognized for demonstrating a united public-private effort to overcome the crisis of regional extinction.

Currently, the town and township offices are accepting applications for the vacant house remodeling support project, and interest from vacant house owners is pouring in through word of mouth, with inquiries about moving into remodeled houses already ongoing.

The county plans to provide a so-called ‘Gangjin Living One-Stop Service’ including vacant house remodeling, new village creation, job information, and return to farming or rural living, starting as early as October.

To build the system, since July, every Thursday, the Population Policy Division has been holding discussions with team leaders and staff from eight related departments to continue planning, and the county plans to provide various information necessary for moving to Gangjin clearly on the county website.

The county is currently promoting the completion of a total of seven vacant houses, including five long-term leased vacant houses and two owner-occupied vacant houses, targeting completion in August this year, and plans to complete remodeling of a total of 20 vacant houses by the second half of this year.

The vacant house remodeling strategy appeals to urban residents by offering the unique emotions and experiences of rural homes, including comprehensive housing repair work such as window and wallpaper/flooring work, waterproofing and insulation, drainage facility improvements, as well as creating small gardens and vegetable patches.

Governor Kang Jin-won said, “The vacant house remodeling project is a win-win opportunity to revive the rural areas of Gangjin, which are becoming empty due to aging and population decline, and to attract external population,” adding, “We ask for the cooperation of all residents to overcome the crisis of regional extinction and create a new boom that revitalizes rural areas.”

For detailed information on vacant house leasing and sales, please contact the Rural Development Promotion Division.

Gangjin = Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Yong-su just8440@asiae.co.kr

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