Seven districts in the South Jeolla-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City have been selected for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' 2027 General Rural Development Project, the city announced Sunday.
The general rural development project aims to expand basic living service infrastructure in rural areas — including cultural, welfare, care and leisure services — and to improve residents' living conditions and quality of life by linking town centers with surrounding villages.
Gwansan-eup in Jangheung was selected for the rural center revitalization project, while six districts were chosen for the basic living hub development project: Hwangjeon-myeon and Woldeung-myeon in Suncheon, Jukgok-myeon and Moksadong-myeon in Gokseong, Mongtan-myeon in Muan, and Sonbul-myeon in Hampyeong.
Starting in 2027, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to provide tiered funding over five years — up to 15 billion won ($9.74 million) per district for the rural center revitalization project, and up to 6 billion won in the first phase and up to 2 billion won in the second phase for the basic living hub development project.
Gwansan-eup in Jangheung will build a combined cultural and welfare administrative center integrating the local community service center with existing cultural and welfare facilities.
Hwangjeon-myeon and Woldeung-myeon in Suncheon, Jukgok-myeon in Gokseong, and Sonbul-myeon in Hampyeong will each establish a multipurpose community living center tailored to local conditions and operate specialized programs.
Moksadong-myeon in Gokseong and Mongtan-myeon in Muan plan to build a village-centered living service delivery system to strengthen services that residents can directly benefit from.
Kim Hyeon-mi, head of the agricultural policy division at the South Jeolla-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, said the city would "actively support the selected projects to ensure they proceed without a hitch, expand living services that rural residents can feel in their daily lives, and create a better rural environment to live in."
kkm9971@heraldcorp.com
