Gokseong-gun Finalized for Regional Vitality Town Development Project Selection

Published 14 May.2024 10:42(KST)

A Vitality Hotspot Where City Residents Gather

A Solution to the Local Extinction Crisis

Gokseong-gun, Jeollanam-do recently announced that it has been finally selected for the Regional Vitality Town Development Project, with a total project cost of 47.2 billion KRW, which was jointly proposed by multiple ministries.

The Regional Vitality Town project, led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, selected 10 sites nationwide. It aims to create living hubs that combine housing, living infrastructure, and lifestyle services to improve residential conditions and support settlement in local areas.

[Image provided by Gokseong-gun]

The county plans to support the stable settlement of newly incoming populations from multiple angles by enabling solutions for housing, living convenience, and job creation within the vitality town, reflecting the region’s unique characteristics.

The project name “Gokseong Hwalmyeongsu,” which was finally selected in this competition, means a vibrant auspicious place where urban residents gather, embodying a strong will to overcome the crisis of local extinction.

The project site is located within a 2-minute drive from Gokseong IC, adjacent to the newly constructed road of the National Route 27 improvement project, offering excellent accessibility. Geographically, it is situated at the center of the county, making it easy to utilize infrastructure in three zones and township areas. The site is county-owned land in the area of Samgi-myeon, Gwaesori.

This development town will include a total of 90 residential units reflecting urban residents’ preferences, a community center equipped with urban-level education and medical functions, and a sports center to be used jointly by local residents and newly incoming populations.

Additionally, through multifaceted demand surveys, the county has identified key target residents as young urban farmers, families staying long-term for rural study programs, workers in agro-industrial complexes, and returnees to farming and rural areas. Customized housing will be supplied, consisting of 16 townhouse units and 74 youth communal housing units.

Moreover, to generate income for residents, a phased strategy has been established in connection with the region’s specialized field of smart farming.

First, in collaboration with the local university, Jeonnam Science University, and the HiVE project (Higher Vocational Education Hub District), smart farm agricultural talents will be jointly nurtured. Separate research will identify profitable crops to provide agricultural education.

Subsequently, through smart farm education and start-up farming consulting provided by the Youth Farmer Incubating Hub Center project, economic independence will be supported by enabling rental-type smart farm start-ups within the Regional Vitality Town.

Furthermore, a job matching platform will be established to secure sustainable employment. By managing human resources such as urban residents’ careers and skills, customized public jobs matching local demand will be facilitated, and new jobs will be supported in conjunction with vocational education at Jeonnam Science University.

Meanwhile, private companies are actively participating. To maximize residents’ settlement satisfaction, a consortium with private companies will be formed to develop residential facilities.

In particular, KT and KT Engineering will participate in building an IoT-based smart village covering housing and infrastructure facilities, providing safety and convenience for residents’ living facilities. The Oncheon Theme Park is expected to add vitality to the Regional Vitality Town by introducing convenience facilities for residents and directly creating jobs.

A business agreement was signed with Gian Leisure earlier this year.

County Governor Lee Sang-cheol stated, “The Regional Vitality Town Development Project is the same as the Youth Utopia Pilot Village construction, a key pledge of the 8th local government administration. The county is currently proceeding with procedures such as land acquisition and basic planning, and plans to push the project forward with speed.”

He added, “We will expand the project through the Jeonnam-type Balanced Development 300 Project application and make ‘Gokseong Hwalmyeongsu’ a model case of urban resident migration. We will take this as an opportunity to take a step closer to realizing a happier Gokseong for both residents and migrants by improving residential conditions and bringing vitality to the region.”