Uiseong Six-Clove Garlic Processing Village Enterprise 'HanTol' Selected as Moduae... Pohang 'Changbau Village' Chosen as Excellent

Four Companies Selected in Ministry Contest

Securing Project Funding of 190 Million Won

It was announced on May 26 that four village enterprises from North Gyeongsang Province were selected in the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's public contest project: one in the Moduae category, one in the Excellent category, and two in the Re-challenge category, securing a total project budget of 190 million won.

The 2026 'Moduae (Love)·Excellent' Public Contest Project is an annual initiative by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety aimed at spreading outstanding cases of village enterprises nationwide. The selection is made through a comprehensive evaluation of community spirit, public interest, business viability, contribution to the local community, and sustainability.

Promotional material for Uiseong village enterprise 'Hantol'.

For this contest, 14 companies nationwide applied for the Moduae category, with five ultimately selected; in the Excellent category, nine companies were chosen out of 36 applicants. Only North Gyeongsang Province and South Jeolla Province had companies selected in both categories.

Notably, North Gyeongsang Province has had a village enterprise chosen in the Moduae category for five consecutive years since 2022, and in the Excellent category for 11 consecutive years since 2016, proving its top-tier capacity for fostering village enterprises nationwide.

Uiseong-gun agricultural corporation 'HanTol', selected as a Moduae village enterprise, has established a win-win system with local farms by having local young cooperative members promote production, processing, and distribution businesses using Uiseong's signature six-clove garlic.

Based on resident participation and a structure that returns profits to the community, HanTol has contributed to job creation in rural areas and revitalization of the local economy. The company was recognized for its stable sales base, growth potential, and balanced community spirit and business viability, leading to its selection as a Moduae village enterprise.

Changbau Village in Pohang-si, selected as an Excellent village enterprise, has focused on community-driven management and promoted village projects and experiential programs utilizing local resources, working to vitalize the local community.

It received high marks for its resident participation-based management system, village-level cooperation structure, continuous contributions to the local community, and achievements in community-centered business operations, earning its place as an Excellent village enterprise.

Meanwhile, Andong-si agricultural corporation 'JimO' and Ulleung-gun 'SeomgaOn' agricultural corporation, selected in the Re-challenge category, will receive support for business differentiation and growth through specialized consulting.

JimO was recognized for its potential to regrow, focusing on processed grain foods such as 'Yangbanchip' made from local agricultural products, while SeomgaOn was acknowledged for its business potential utilizing Ulleung's local resources and tourism base.

The selected companies will receive project funding: 100 million won for Moduae, 70 million won for Excellent, and 10 million won each for Re-challenge. They will also benefit from certificate awards, publication in a best practices casebook, and preferential recommendations for online and offline market support, among various other advantages.

North Gyeongsang Province is implementing various support programs to strengthen the self-reliance foundation of village enterprises, including market expansion, promotion and marketing, competency enhancement, and network building. This year, in particular, the province is enhancing marketing efforts to respond to the spread of digital consumption, such as operating a metropolitan area win-win marketplace and promoting products in connection with influencers.

Lee Jaehoon, Director General for Economic and Trade Affairs of North Gyeongsang Province, stated, "This achievement demonstrates that village enterprises in North Gyeongsang have grown beyond simple community activities to become competitive economic agents that genuinely drive the local economy. We will continue to actively discover and foster resident-led local circular economy models to address local extinction and revitalize the regional economy."

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