Damyang-gun's Unique 'Hyangchon Welfare' Leads Senior Citizens' Life Vitality

Presidential Advisory Council on Agriculture and Fisheries Selects Jeonnam Region as No.1 in 'Quality of Life Index' Evaluation

Among the rural counties in Jeonnam, Damyang-gun has been identified as the area with the highest quality of life.

According to Damyang-gun on the 10th, the Presidential Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries, and Rural Special Affairs ranked Damyang-gun 4th in the health and welfare sector and 12th in the cultural community sector for rural quality of life evaluation, making it the top-ranked area in Jeonnam.

It ranked 8th among 79 rural counties nationwide.

The rural quality of life index was developed by the Agriculture and Fisheries Committee using existing statistical data, consisting of 20 indicators across five areas: ▲Economy ▲Health and Welfare ▲Culture and Community ▲Environment and Safety ▲Regional Vitality, and the index was calculated using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP).

Damyang-gun is revitalizing the lives of its elderly through a unique welfare model called 'Hyangchon Welfare,' a new filial administrative approach.

Programs such as the ‘Integrated Care Happiness Companion Team,’ which provides various care services through home visits, ‘Our Village Primary Doctor,’ where public health doctors and nurses visit homes with limited hospital access to offer health consultations and enhance self-management skills, as well as hospital accompaniment and post-discharge care services funded by the Hometown Love Fund, have received great support from the elderly.

Moreover, through the ‘Damyang-style Hyangchon Welfare,’ which includes dementia prevention classes, early dementia screening, expanded free shingles vaccinations, and strengthened regular vaccinations for children under 12, the county is gaining attention as a representative welfare model for rural areas where everyone can be happy.

Additionally, Damyang is transforming spaces with historical and cultural value into cultural hub facilities, providing opportunities for artists to engage in cultural activities and offering local residents and visitors chances to satisfy their cultural cravings.

The Damyang Bamboo Festival, designated as an honorary tourism cultural festival by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the winter signature Santa Festival have created a harmonious venue where residents and tourists unite. By adding distinctive nighttime content, Damyang is developing into an attractive cultural tourism city where visitors can enjoy activities all day and stay an extra day.

Furthermore, festivals such as the Ginkgo Tree Festival in Mujeong-myeon, the Glutinous Corn Concert in Gasamunhak-myeon, and the Mountain Cherry Blossom Festival in Geumseong-myeon utilize local resources to hold ‘One Town, One Festival,’ significantly contributing to residents’ actual income generation and fostering a shared cultural consensus.

County Governor Lee Byeong-no said, “The efforts made for the happiness of our residents seem to have yielded good results in this evaluation,” adding, “We will continue to do our best to improve the quality of life for our residents.”

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