The 'Kangjinpumae' initiative in Gangjin County, South Jeolla Province, which repurposes vacant homes into living spaces for new residents, has successfully housed a total of 110 families and 311 individuals.
According to Gangjin County on September 15, Kangjinpumae is a housing and settlement support program that offers remodeled vacant homes to new residents for a monthly rent of 10,000 won. The program aims to alleviate one of the biggest burdens during relocation—housing costs—allowing new residents to continue their lives and economic activities in the area.
The second round of recruitment this year also showed high demand, with 63 applications for 10 available homes, resulting in an average competition ratio of 6.3 to 1.
Following a document review, interviews were conducted on September 10 at the Gangjin County Library. Applicants were evaluated on their motivations for moving to Gangjin, their commitment to settling down, plans for future living and economic activities, and their ability to communicate and adapt to the local community.
Notably, local representatives, including village leaders and women's association heads, participated in the interviews. This approach was designed not just to select residents for vacant homes but to assess their potential integration into the community.
As a result of the evaluations, 7 homes and 21 residents were confirmed for occupancy, bringing the total number of confirmed residents through Kangjinpumae to 110 families and 311 individuals.
A key feature of Kangjinpumae is its perspective on rural vacant homes—not merely as properties to be demolished or repaired, but as valuable resources for attracting new residents.
The county has opted to renovate long-abandoned houses and offer them at low prices, addressing the vacant home issue while reducing the initial settlement burden for newcomers.
Gangjin County's vacant house utilization policy received the Presidential Award for its vacant house remodeling support project at the 20th Korea Local Government Management Competition held in September 2024.
The county plans to continue this initiative, focusing on connecting home renovations to actual relocations and long-term settlement. The high demand for the 10 homes in this recruitment cycle indicates a significant interest in rural relocation among potential residents.
However, securing funding for remodeling remains a challenge for expanding supply. Renovating long-abandoned homes to create safe living spaces incurs substantial costs, making it difficult for local governments to sustain supply increases solely through their own resources.
Gangjin County recognizes that the increase in vacant homes and population decline is not just a local issue but a common challenge faced by rural areas nationwide. Therefore, it sees the need to link its vacant house remodeling project with national policies addressing rural depopulation and population issues.
With stable financial support from the central government, the county hopes to expedite the conversion of abandoned homes into housing resources and expand the availability of homes for those wishing to return to farming or relocate to the area.
Kang Jin-won, the mayor of Gangjin County, stated, "Kangjinpumae is a settlement support policy that revives vacant homes into new residents' havens, helping them live stably in Gangjin and establish roots in the community. We will develop the program to transform usable vacant homes into new assets for the region, enabling more residents to establish their lives in Gangjin."
He added, "The issues of vacant homes and population decline are challenges that rural areas across the country must address together. It is essential to have stable financial support and institutional backing from the central government to expand the vacant house remodeling policy being implemented locally."
Looking ahead, Gangjin County plans to identify and renovate additional usable vacant homes, ensuring that support through Kangjinpumae leads not only to relocation but also to job creation, economic activities, and participation in community life, thereby promoting a reduction in vacant homes and an increase in the resident population and local economic activity.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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