Yangyang County to Pursue Designation of "Rural Vitality Promotion Zone" with Hajodae Agricultural Cooperative... Easing Agricultural Promotion Area Regulations

Easing Agricultural Promotion Area Restrictions
Significant Expansion of Farming Infrastructure
Including Agricultural Machinery Centers and Duty-Free Fuel Stations

On December 8, Yangyang County in Gangwon Province announced that it will actively pursue the designation of a "Rural Vitality Promotion Zone" to ease location regulations in rural areas and promote systematic development.

Aerial view of Yangyang County Office.

The county has selected two sites-Jeonpomae-ri in Hyeonnam-myeon and Sanggwangjeong-ri in Hyeonbuk-myeon-based on a private investment proposal from Hajodae Agricultural Cooperative. Yangyang County plans to apply for the zone designation to Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province within December.

The "Rural Vitality Promotion Zone" is a system introduced under the "Special Act on the Establishment of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province and the Creation of a Future Industry Global City." If an area is designated as such a zone, the governor is authorized to lift agricultural promotion area restrictions, allowing for the attraction of additional facilities that were previously restricted from being built.

The zones to be applied for this time are the Jeonpomae-ri zone in Hyeonnam-myeon (13,292.5 square meters) and the Sanggwangjeong-ri zone in Hyeonbuk-myeon (3,529.4 square meters). The projects will be implemented in phases from 2025 to 2028, with the entire project cost covered by Hajodae Agricultural Cooperative’s own capital investment.

For the Jeonpomae-ri zone in Hyeonnam-myeon, approximately 3.5 billion won will be invested to expand the existing rice collection center, and to build additional facilities such as an agricultural machinery repair center, an agricultural materials department store, and a grain warehouse. Through this, a "one-stop farming support system" integrating production, storage, sales, and distribution will be established to increase farm income and revitalize the local economy.

For the Sanggwangjeong-ri zone in Hyeonbuk-myeon, about 1.7 billion won will be invested to expand a duty-free fuel station on the site of the existing agricultural machinery repair center. The area has long suffered from a lack of duty-free fuel stations, forcing farmers to travel long distances. However, with the creation of this new complex hub that combines maintenance and fuel supply, farming efficiency is expected to improve significantly.

To this end, Yangyang County conducted preliminary consultations with the Agricultural Policy Division of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province in July and December, reviewing designation requirements and development direction. In November, a resident briefing session was held to gather opinions from local residents.

In particular, following the recent revision of the ordinance on the designation and management of Rural Vitality Promotion Zones in Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, the minimum area requirement (30,000 square meters or more) has been relaxed, making it possible to apply for the designation of smaller zones and giving momentum to the project.

The county plans to complete the process of gathering resident opinions by the 16th and submit the application for designation on the 22nd. The final designation is targeted for the first half of 2026, following consultation with the Farmland Management Committee and review by the Comprehensive Planning Deliberation Committee of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province.

Kim Sangcheol, Director of Planning and Budget, stated, "The promotion of the Rural Vitality Promotion Zone designation will serve as a model case for expanding essential rural infrastructure using private capital," adding, "By lifting long-standing regulations through the removal of agricultural promotion area restrictions, we will focus our administrative efforts on improving the practical convenience and income of farmers."

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