Gyeonggi Province for Aspiring Farmers
(Published October 04, 2012)
 
Offering educational courses and real estate services for urban citizens who want to return to nature… The number of those who moved to the suburbs reached 15,370 earlier this year.

◇ Statistics show over 15,000 people moved to Gyeonggi Province to start a new life. ⓒ G-News Plus
 
A study conducted earlier this year revealed that 15,370 people moved to Gyeonggi Province to start a new career.
 
According to research conducted earlier this year, the number of people who moved back to the suburbs reached 14,627, i.e., twenty times more than the 743 people who entered the agricultural industry.
 
There are two main reasons why people move from the city to countryside: either to return to their hometowns, or gwichon, or to start new careers in the primary industry, or gwinong. This research defines those who move from urban dong districts to suburban eup or myeon districts as gwichon citizens.

According to the study, 43.2% said they moved because of their jobs; 11.5% moved semi-permanently; and 10.2% moved in search of better living conditions. Most citizens moved from Seoul (44.2%), followed by Incheon (5.2%). Many replied that they chose to move to Gyeonggi Province because of its closeness to the capital city and the quality of its education, culture, and leisure facilities.
 
Most people who entered the agricultural industry cultivated rice (48.8%) and vegetables (28.5%), which require minimal technology or startup capital, and offer better chances at harvest.
 
Namyangju City attracted the most new gwinong and gwichon residents at 3,792 people. Coming in at a close second was Paju City (3,156), followed by Yongin City (2,409), collectively accounting for 60% of the overall number of movers. On the other hand, Pocheon City attracted the most “rookie farmers” with 163 people moving there.
 
Among those who moved to the suburbs, 36.5% were in their 20s or 30s, while 26.3% were in their 40s, accounting for 84% of the total number and indicating that most people who move are at their productive peak.

To support the rising number of new residents, the provincial government has opened a specialized real estate agency, collecting information on available lots and houses from 137 eup and myeon around the region. Gyeonggi Province has also made its gwinong and gwichon educational courses available to 750 people (compared to 200 last year) by hiring consultants in each district.
 ◇ In addition to a number of other support programs, Gyeonggi Province is hiring consultants in each district to help new residents settle into their new homes. ⓒ G-News Plus

An official working for Gyeonggi Province’s Agricultural Policy Division said, “The number of new residents is on the rise. We are designing a range of programs and policies to support them.”
 
The research was carried out between January 1 and June 30 of 2012,  and based on the number of people who moved from urban dong districts to suburban eup and myeon districts.
 
ⓒ G-News Plus News | Chun Gyeong-nam | chun0403@kg21.net
 
http://gnews.gg.go.kr/news/news_detail.asp?number=201210041344537055C049&s_code=C049