Jeongeup City Trains Leaders for the "Citizen Idea Contest" to Lead Village Communities

by Baek Geonsu

Published 17 Mar.2026 11:44(KST)

Jeongeup City and the Jeongeup Regional Vitality Center held the "2026 Citizen Idea Contest Root Stage Community Leader Training" at the Regional Vitality Center training room from March 9 to March 13, with the aim of revitalizing self-sustaining village communities led by citizens.

Jeongeup City and Jeongeup Regional Vitality Center conducted the "2026 Citizen Idea Contest Root Level Community Leader Training" at the Regional Vitality Center training hall from the 9th to the 13th. Provided by Jeongeup City

This intensive training targeted leaders and practitioners from four village communities selected for the root stage of the Citizen Idea Contest-Dosan Village in Chilbo-myeon, Sangjeung Village in Taein-myeon, Yanggoe Village in Shintaeein-eup, and Jeonghae Village in Sanggyo-dong-as well as six small-scale communities: Local Bottle, Local Live, Life Clean, Sannae Baekhwa-ju Project Group, Ssanghwa Yeonga, and Urban Trip.

The five-day program was divided into common and customized courses, with nine expert instructors from various fields focusing on enhancing practical problem-solving skills encountered in the field.

The curriculum covered a range of topics, beginning with the roles of community leaders and best practices for management, followed by conflict management and resolution strategies related to the execution of subsidies, and practical exercises on drafting project proposals that include goals and budgets. Additionally, case studies on rural tourism using village resources and the discovery of income-generating projects based on local assets were included. There was particularly positive feedback that the real-world, case-based lectures and thorough hands-on guidance from experienced instructors greatly helped the participating communities concretize actionable business models utilizing their own resources.

The root stage communities that completed the training will begin full-scale pilot projects from this month through October, followed by a results presentation in November and a final report in December. The city plans to provide systematic support, including step-by-step consulting and linkage to follow-up projects, to ensure these communities can progress from the root stage to the fruit stage.

Mayor Lee Haksoo stated, "I hope this leader training has served as a catalyst for strengthening business planning capabilities using village resources and building strong networks among communities," adding, "Jeongeup City will continue to provide ongoing support so that resident-led village development projects can take firm root in the region."