Gangwon Province and Local Governments Join Forces to Reduce Vacant Houses and Boost Population

Gangwon Province Holds Meeting with Vacant House Management Officials from 18 Cities and Counties
to Establish the "Comprehensive Vacant House Management Plan"

Gangwon Province Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) announced on September 10 that it held a meeting with city and county officials to establish a "Comprehensive Vacant House Management Plan" aimed at reducing vacant houses and increasing the population, in order to address the issue of vacant homes in the region and promote sustainable population growth.

A panoramic view of Gangwon Province. Provided by Gangwon Province Special Self-Governing Province

This meeting focused on sharing the current status of vacant houses in each city and county, exploring systematic maintenance directions, and preparing proactive and preemptive response strategies during the planning process. Housing and architecture department staff from each city and county, as well as advisors on vacant house management, attended to discuss the current situation and improvement tasks for each region.

The participants engaged in in-depth discussions on a variety of topics, including: ▲ the current status of vacant house surveys and maintenance plan establishment ▲ plans for the enactment and revision of ordinances ▲ the current status of vacant house maintenance and annual maintenance plans ▲ region-specific strategies for utilizing vacant houses and supporting the activation of transactions ▲ strengthening the work capabilities of city and county officials and collecting suggestions.

In particular, this meeting also included a preparatory session for the overseas study tour on exemplary vacant house maintenance cases scheduled for October. Participants reviewed Japan's policies on the utilization of vacant houses and cases of private sector collaboration, and shared the objectives and tasks for each stage of the study tour.

Kim Soon-ha, Director of Architecture at Gangwon Province Special Self-Governing Province, stated, "Solving the vacant house problem is an important task that must achieve both housing maintenance and the dual goals of regional revitalization and population growth. Through this meeting, we will build an organic cooperation system with cities and counties, and incorporate outstanding international examples into local policies to establish an effective comprehensive plan."

Based on the discussions from this meeting, the province plans to finalize the "Comprehensive Vacant House Management Plan" within this year, and will actively discover and promote resident-focused policies that not only ensure systematic and efficient management of vacant houses but also utilize them for the benefit of the community.

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