Kangjin County's signature stay-type rural tourism program, 'FU-SO Experience,' has been recognized for successfully connecting the region's unique characteristics to tourism resources.
Kangjin County announced that it won the Local Branding category at the 14th Yonhap News TV Economic Forum held on September 11 at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul as part of the '2026 Rebooting Local Era Awards.'
The 'Rebooting Local Era Awards' were established to discover policies and innovative cases that respond to regional extinction and promote local revitalization. This year, six institutions were selected as awardees across four categories: media coexistence, local branding, regional economy & jobs, and living conditions & welfare innovation, along with special awards.
The FU-SO Experience received high praise for evolving into a stay-type tourism model that utilizes vacant rural accommodations, local food, and residents' daily lives as tourism content.
Unlike traditional tourism that involves merely visiting attractions, this program allows visitors to stay at farms and interact with locals, providing a direct experience of rural life and culture.
Kangjin County Mayor Kang Jin-won presented the award-winning case, highlighting the background of the FU-SO Experience's introduction, the participatory operation process involving residents, and its impact on the local economy and population growth.
According to Kangjin County, since the FU-SO Experience began in 2015, a total of 79,300 participants have engaged in the program by last year. During this period, participating farms generated direct income of 7.78 billion won, and the associated consumption effects, including visits to local restaurants and cafes and purchases of specialty products, are estimated to exceed 17.5 billion won.
The FU-SO Experience is also expanding its reach into school field trips, even as such programs have been declining recently.
As of May this year, 57 schools have made reservations for the program through 2028, with a total of 9,513 students expected to participate. Notably, the county's direct management of the program, including pre-checks of farms and facilities, sharing student transportation details, and assigning guides for each bus, has been cited as a key factor for schools' return visits.
This indicates that the FU-SO Experience is not limited to farm stays but is seen as a foundation for expanding tourism demand through school trips, family vacations, and rural experiences.
Mayor Kang Jin-won stated, “This award is a testament to the achievements of the county residents and participating farms that have turned rural daily life and the lives of residents into Kangjin's unique competitiveness. We will further develop Kangjin-style stay tourism to ensure more people stay in Kangjin, build relationships with the region, and return.”
Kangjin County plans to expand the FU-SO Experience to include family-oriented activities, week-long stays, training for organizations and groups, and programs linked to returning to farming and rural living.
In particular, the county aims to enhance the connection between tourism and the local economy by encouraging visitors to stay longer and engage in spending on accommodations, restaurants, cafes, and specialty products.
Meanwhile, Kangjin County intends to leverage the administrative integration of Jeonnam and Gwangju, as well as improvements in transportation accessibility between Gwangju and Kangjin, as opportunities to expand the stay-type tourism market. The county plans to increase visitors' length of stay by linking existing tourism policies and local agricultural and fishing resources, while also focusing on expanding the resident population through sustained relationships between tourists and the region.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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