Rural spots get clever to strengthen their populations

Two young fishermen pose on a fishing vessel they rented cheaply from the Shinan County, South Jeolla, in December 2019. [JANG JEONG-PIL]

Two young fishermen pose on a fishing vessel they rented cheaply from the Shinan County, South Jeolla, in December 2019. [JANG JEONG-PIL]

 
As cities in Korea’s countryside fear extinction thanks to speedily growing old populations, neighborhood governments are coming up with creative policies to attract new residents.
 
Mungyeong City in North Gyeongsang announced Monday that it will supply absolutely free hire on new modular residences to young and aspiring farmers.
 
In accordance to Mungyeong official, it ideas to create about 100 two-individual modular properties and offer you cost-free hire for up to a person year.
 
The community governing administration designs to make investments about 80 million ($69,103) to 100 million received into just about every abode.  
 
Modular properties are assembled from areas crafted at a manufacturing unit. Their lightweight metal frames and quick assembly grants them advantages these kinds of as cheaper selling price and shorter building time. They types planned by Mungyeong are meant to be strong and nicely-insulated.  
 
The plan is intended to solve a person of the most frequent problems faced by young farmers: housing.  
 
Even thing to consider of fairly very low actual estate costs in the countryside, purchasing a house still expenditures at least 100 million to 200 million won.  
 
Shinan County in South Jeolla has been trying to employs its booming photo voltaic farm business to appeal to new citizens since April.
 
Shinan County get tons of sunshine, and the nearby authorities came up with a income-sharing procedure between citizens and developers of nearby photo voltaic farms.
 
According to the county business office, homes inside of 500 meters of a solar farm acquire a 2.04 million received subsidy per person each year. Homes positioned within 1 kilometer get 1.36 million received, and properties further than 1 kilometer from the farms receive 680,000 gained.  
 
“Since we applied the revenue-sharing process in Shinan County, populations in villages closest to the solar farms which are Anjwa village and Jido village, rose by 38 individuals in Anjwa and 51 people today in Jido,” said a Shinan County formal. “These statistics clearly show that the earnings-sharing system actually did convey a lot more persons into our county.”  
 
Shinan County also launched a fishing vessel rental company in 2019, which leases 8,000 fishing vessels to younger fishermen for 300,000 to 500,000 won per month. That is considered low-cost.
 
An ordinary fishing vessel weighs about 9 tons and expenditures 700 million to 1 billion gained, even if it is a used boat.  
 
In some rural counties, anxious citizens have taken matters into their very own arms to draw in new neighbors.  
 
Citizens of Gohyeon village in Namhae County, South Gyeongsang were being shocked when schools in the county started off closing.  
 
Neighborhoods have been getting hollowed out, with one particular out of 10 residences in the village vacant.  
 
Fearing that their hometown may vanish entirely, people fashioned a committee in July to set their heads jointly.  
 
Considering the fact that then, the committee carried out numerous projects and strategies to spiff up the village for opportunity newcomers, these as renovation of 24 empty properties and totally free land leases for aspiring farmers and everyone who may possibly be interested in returning to their hometown.  
 
The committee also teaches agricultural competencies to new or returning farmers.
 
The attempts have tested successful. A overall of 44 new pupils enrolled in the village’s two elementary educational facilities as of March this 12 months.  
 
“After viewing the residents’ strategies to appeal to folks to the village, much more aspiring farmers and customers of the younger generation have proven interest in residing in Gohyeon,” claimed Ko Eun-ju, Manager of the Youth Innovation Department of the Namhae County Workplace.
 
“They pay a visit to the village in particular person and like what they see, specially the committee’s courses to enable newcomers settle.”
 

BY KIM JUNG-SEOK, LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]