Gyeonggi Province Adds Gapyeong County to 'Border Area Vacant House Renovation Project', Expands to Eight Cities and Counties Next Year

Gyeonggi Province to Conduct Preliminary Survey for 2026 Vacant House Renovation Project in the Second Half of the Year
Improving Quality of Life and Revitalizing Border Areas through the Regeneration of Neglected Spaces

Gyeonggi Province has added Gapyeong County to the list of areas eligible for the 'Border Area Vacant House Renovation Project,' which aims to improve local living environments and enhance residents' quality of life by renovating vacant houses in border regions. Starting next year, the project will be implemented in a total of eight cities and counties.

Exterior view of the Northern Gyeonggi Provincial Government Building. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

On August 12, the province announced that it plans to expand the vacant house renovation project in earnest from 2026, following a preliminary demand survey in the second half of this year, in order to include Gapyeong County, which was incorporated into the border area in March of this year.

Previously, the project targeted seven cities and counties: Goyang, Paju, Gimpo, Yangju, Pocheon, Dongducheon, and Yeoncheon.

This year as well, Gyeonggi Province conducted a demand survey in the seven cities and counties and selected a total of 32 sites for the vacant house renovation project. A total budget of 330 million won will be invested in these vacant houses to support demolition and public use. The province will provide up to 20 million won per house for demolition and up to 10 million won per site for public use of vacant land.

The vacant house renovation project aims not only to demolish old or hazardous houses but also to transform them into central community spaces such as village rest areas, small parks, and public parking lots, thereby improving residential conditions. In fact, since 2018, 510 vacant houses have been converted into public spaces such as village gardens and parking lots, significantly contributing to increased satisfaction among residents in border areas.

Gyeonggi Province expects that, given Gapyeong County’s geographical features, tourism resources, and distance from urban centers, the demolition of vacant houses and utilization of vacant land will have a substantial impact.

Kim Sangsoo, Director of the Balanced Development Planning Office of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "The additional designation of Gapyeong County as a border area and the resulting expansion of the project will further solidify the achievements of the existing initiative and serve as an important turning point in realizing our core goal of improving quality of life through spatial reorganization. Through the preliminary survey in the second half of the year, we will thoroughly assess the status of vacant houses and resident demand in Gapyeong County and prepare meticulously to ensure sustainable results going forward."

Gyeonggi Province also plans to further strengthen the institutional foundation of the vacant house renovation project through close cooperation with local governments and central ministries, with the aim of structurally addressing the problems of population decline and deteriorating residential environments faced by border areas.

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