Yeongyang County Wins Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Award at the 12th Happy Rural Community Contest

Yeondang Village's Creative Vacant House Regeneration Recognized on the National Stage

Yeongyang County in North Gyeongsang Province (Governor Oh Dochang) received the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Award for placing second in the vacant house regeneration category at the finals of the 12th Happy Rural Community Contest, hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, on September 17.

Yeongyang County, recipient of the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Award at the 12th Happy Rural Making Contest. Provided by Yeongyang County.

The Happy Rural Community Contest, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, is a nationwide event held to discover outstanding rural cases and spread regional development models.

Yeondang Village presented various regeneration projects and achievements in resident participation, including the creation of community spaces utilizing vacant houses and establishing settlement conditions for returning farmers and new rural residents.

Previously, Yeondang Village was selected as the representative local government in the vacant house regeneration category at the North Gyeongsang Province preliminaries in June. After passing the on-site evaluation by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in July, it qualified for the finals. Ahead of the finals, Yeongyang County and local residents enhanced their competitiveness through a field-oriented preparation process.

As a result, at the final review held on September 17, Yeondang Village was recognized for its resident-led and creative use of vacant houses, securing second place in the vacant house regeneration category and earning the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Award. This achievement brought a prize of 10 million won and a financial incentive of 120 million won in project funds from North Gyeongsang Province. Furthermore, this award served as a significant opportunity to raise the profile of Yeongyang County nationwide.

Governor Oh Dochang stated, "This award is the result of active participation and cooperation by our residents," adding, "We will continue to provide various support to solve the issue of vacant houses in rural areas and promote sustainable regional development."

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