Samcheok City Plants the Seeds of 'Love for the Region' in Rural Exchange Students Through Cultural Exploration Program

The "Capturing Samcheok: Stories of Life and Culture" event, organized by Samcheok City in Gangwon Province and the EDUPIA Samcheok Education Development Project Group on September 27, received high praise and is drawing attention as a potential new model for programs aimed at overcoming regional crises by attracting rural exchange students.

Samcheok City and EDUPIA Samcheok Education Development Project Group are taking a commemorative photo after holding "Capturing Samcheok: Stories of Life and Culture" on September 27. Provided by Samcheok City

As part of the educational development special zone project, Samcheok City and the EDUPIA Samcheok Education Development Project Group have been planning local cultural exploration programs to help rural exchange students quickly adapt to their new environment and strengthen their commitment to settling in the area. This year, the program was held for the first time and has achieved meaningful results.

The "Capturing Samcheok: Stories of Life and Culture" program included a history lecture and media art viewing at the Isabu Dokdo Memorial Hall, a beachcombing art experience at the Sensibility Workshop, and a cultural tour of Jukseoru Pavilion, allowing participants to directly experience and engage with the unique history, culture, and nature of Samcheok.

In particular, university student mentors from Kangwon National University accompanied the program, pairing one-on-one with rural exchange students. This fostered close interactions and provided emotional support for the students. Notably, both the rural exchange students and the Kangwon National University students were able to experience Samcheok's unique culture and history, further strengthening their commitment to settling in the region.

Participants expressed high satisfaction with the program, sharing comments such as, "Samcheok now feels like my hometown," and "I learned the value of responsibility and communication while spending time with the children."

A city official stated, "This exploration program was a meaningful opportunity, providing rural exchange students with a sense of belonging and understanding of the region, and offering personal growth for the university student mentors. We will continue to expand various programs in collaboration with the local community to support the stable settlement of rural exchange students."

Meanwhile, last year, Samcheok City enacted the "Ordinance on the Promotion and Support of Rural Exchange Students in Samcheok City," began providing housing support for rural exchange students, and is actively supporting their settlement by adding new educational programs under the educational development special zone project, aiming to make rural exchange students a new growth engine for the region.

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