Gangwon Province to Renovate 3,050 Vacant Houses by 2030 with 35.8 Billion Won Investment, Covering 43% of Total

Gangwon Establishes First Regional "Vacant House Renovation Standards"

Formation of Vacant House Management Advisory Group with Provincial, Private Sector, and Local Government Experts

Collaboration with Private Companies to Utilize Vacant Houses as Startup Spaces and Rental Housing

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) announced the "2026~2030 Provincial Vacant House Management Comprehensive Plan" on March 12, during a visit to a vacant house maintenance and demolition site located in Yeonbong-ri, Hongcheon-eup, Hongcheon-gun.

Gangwon Province Governor Jin-tae Kim announced the "2026-2030 Provincial Vacant House Management Comprehensive Plan" on the 12th during his visit to the vacant house maintenance and demolition site in Yeonbong-ri, Hongcheon-eup, Hongcheon County. Provided by Gangwon Province

The house scheduled for demolition in Yeonbong-ri, Hongcheon-eup is approximately 66 square meters (about 20 pyeong) in size. It was newly built in 1984 and used for about 27 years before becoming vacant in 2011. Since then, it has been left abandoned for 15 years. After demolition, considering its location in a residential area near a bus terminal, schools, and the central market, the site is planned to be developed and utilized as a public parking lot.

As of the end of 2024, there are 7,091 vacant houses in the province, accounting for 5.3% of the 134,000 vacant houses nationwide, ranking sixth in the country. Due to factors such as continued population decline and aging, the number of vacant houses is expected to keep increasing, reaching around 20,000 by 2040.

In response, the province plans to invest a total of 35.8 billion won by 2030 to renovate 3,050 vacant houses—43% of the 7,091 in the province—through a phased approach based on three main strategies: establishing an integrated vacant house management system for Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, improving living environments through renovation and ensuring safety, and discovering and expanding vacant house utilization models.

To establish the "Integrated Vacant House Management System" led by the province, a "Vacant House Management Advisory Group" will be formed with participation from the province, private sector experts, and city and county governments, serving as a policy control tower. In addition, in collaboration with Korea Real Estate Board, the province plans to utilize the AI-based platform "Binjibae" to enable real-time monitoring and support administrative efforts to activate private transactions.

For proactive improvement of living environments, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province has established the first regional criteria for categorizing vacant houses into three grades (1 to 3). This will move away from the uniform renovation approach and create a virtuous cycle system encompassing "demolition → utilization → regeneration." Furthermore, linked with the Regional Extinction Response Fund (regional level), the province plans to invest 8 billion won from 2027 to 2030 to promote public project competitions for vacant house utilization tailored to the circumstances of each city and county.

Governor Jin-tae Kim is seen wearing gloves and personally collecting abandoned waste and stacked materials inside an empty house on the 12th, ahead of the full-scale demolition. Photo by Gangwon Province

To discover and expand Gangwon-style utilization models, the province will promote projects in connection with the old residential area renovation initiative in zones with high concentrations of vacant houses in city centers. In addition, through regeneration projects in cooperation with private companies, vacant houses will be reborn as bases for local revitalization, such as startup spaces and rental housing.

On this day, Governor Kim Jin-tae participated in site cleanup activities ahead of the full-scale demolition, wearing gloves and personally collecting abandoned waste and debris from inside the vacant house.

Governor Kim stated, "Demolishing vacant houses and utilizing them for public purposes has multiple positive effects. If vacant houses are left unattended in the city, the so-called 'broken windows effect' can occur, leading not only to deterioration of the urban environment but also increasing the potential for crime."

He added, "Going forward, we will turn broken windows into warm windows by renovating neglected vacant houses."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.