Goheung County Selected for "Jeonnam-style Youth Village Creation" Contest

Boosting Youth Influx and Revitalizing the Local Community

Goheung County, South Jeolla Province (Governor Gong Youngmin), announced on June 4 that GoGoLemon Agricultural Cooperative Corporation has been selected as a final recipient in the "2026 Jeonnam-style Youth Village Creation" public contest, organized by Jeollanam-do.

The "Jeonnam-style Youth Village Creation Project" is an initiative designed to revitalize local communities by encouraging young people to utilize regional resources to solve local issues themselves, foster cooperation with local residents, and boost the inflow of young populations into rural areas.

Front view of Goheung County Office.

This year’s contest saw applications from 13 youth organizations across 8 cities and counties in South Jeolla Province. Following a three-stage evaluation process—document screening, on-site inspection, and presentation—three youth organizations from three cities and counties were ultimately selected. Each selected group will receive 300 million won in funding per year for three years.

The selected youth group from Goheung County, GoGoLemon Agricultural Cooperative Corporation, consists of six trainees and graduates from the Goheung Smart Farm Subtropical Crop Class. The group received high marks for proposing the "Youth Smart Pruning Team" model, which aims to provide a stable initial income for young return-to-farmers interested in fruit crop cultivation and address the labor shortage caused by rural aging.

Starting in July, GoGoLemon Agricultural Cooperative Corporation plans to establish a multi-purpose cultural space and youth accommodation facilities in Wondeung Village, Donggang-myeon. They will pilot a citrus-themed (citrus fruit) experiential program and an orchard management service. Through these initiatives, the group aims to help young people interested in returning to farming experience life in Goheung and naturally settle in the area, thereby moving the project forward in earnest.

An official from the county's Population Policy Office commented, "The selection in this contest is a region-specific initiative that fosters co-prosperity between elderly farmers and youth. We expect it will not only help resolve labor shortages in rural areas and create youth jobs, but also attract young people and revitalize the local community."

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