Settling in Yeongwol After Returning from Paris: A Grape Farming Journey in His 30s

Joonhee Kim (39), who previously ran a guesthouse in Paris, France, returned to Korea after the COVID-19 pandemic. While staying in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, contemplating whether to settle down, he noted that Yeongwol's soil is similar to the calcareous soil of French grape-growing regions, making it an ideal environment for grape cultivation. This realization prompted him to venture into agriculture.

With no prior experience in agriculture, Kim established a vineyard and began operating Ilia Farm. In the early stages, he struggled to obtain agricultural tools, but managed to continue cultivation by purchasing the necessary equipment through online platforms such as Temu.

Kim Junhee, CEO of Illia Farm (39), is cultivating grapes using agricultural supplies obtained from Temu.

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Kim said, "Thanks to platforms like Temu, I was able to experiment with various approaches without a large initial investment," adding, "After trying out the equipment myself, I would often share it with neighboring farms."

Currently, Kim cultivates grapes primarily by hand. Most of last year’s harvest has already been sold.

The number of young people moving to rural areas is also on the rise. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the proportion of farm households headed by people in their 30s or younger reached a record high of 13.1% last year.

Kim emphasizes that agriculture should be approached as a business, not merely as a rural lifestyle. He stated, "Starting a farm is structurally similar to running a small business," and stressed the need for thorough preparation and planning.

Kim plans to expand his product line in the future to include processed foods made from grapes, such as balsamic vinegar and wine.

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