63 Households Compete for Gangjin’s 10,000-Won Vacant Homes... 'Gangjin PumAe' Project Surpasses 110 Households

63 Households Applied for 10 Units, Resulting in a 6.3-to-1 Competition Rate

Reducing Vacant Homes While Attracting New Residents: Achieving Two Goals at Once

The number of households moving into or confirmed for the 'Gangjin PumAe' project, an initiative by Gangjin County in South Jeolla–Gwangju to renovate vacant rural homes and rent them out for just 10,000 won per month, has surpassed 110.

According to an announcement by Gangjin County on September 15, 2026, seven households, totaling 21 people, were selected as new tenants through the second round of recruitment for the Gangjin PumAe project. As a result, the cumulative total of moved-in and confirmed participants has increased to 110 households and 311 people.

Kang Jinwon, Governor of Gangjin County, is visiting a vacant house site in Byeongyeong-myeon and having a conversation with related officials. Provided by Gangjin County

The Gangjin PumAe project refurbishes abandoned vacant homes in the county and offers them to new residents relocating to Gangjin for a monthly rent of 10,000 won. The aim is to ease the initial burden of housing costs for newcomers, thereby facilitating their settlement in the area.

In the most recent round, 63 households applied for the 10 available units, resulting in a competition rate of 6.3 to 1.

After reviewing documents, the county held interviews at Gangjin County Library on September 10. The interviews assessed applicants' motivation for moving to Gangjin, their willingness to settle, plans for living and economic activity, and their potential for communicating with local residents.

Heads of village communities and women's association presidents from the areas where the homes are located also participated in the interviews. This approach ensured that the selection process considered not only housing allocation, but also the applicants' real potential to integrate and live together with existing residents in the village.

Gangjin County is not treating vacant homes solely as targets for demolition or maintenance but is utilizing them as housing for new residents. By remodeling long-unoccupied homes and supplying them to newcomers, the initiative aims both to reduce the number of vacant properties and to attract new residents to the region.

This project won the Presidential Award as a vacant home remodeling support project at the 20th Korea Local Autonomy Management Grand Award held in September 2024.

The county has stated that additional financial support from the central government is necessary to further expand the project. It noted that the costs of converting long-abandoned houses into livable homes are significant, and there are limitations to how much the county can scale up the initiative with only local funds.

Gangjin County plans to identify more usable vacant homes for remodeling and to continue the project to support relocation, economic activity, and long-term settlement by new residents.

Kang Jinwon, the governor of Gangjin County, said, "Gangjin PumAe is a settlement support policy that transforms vacant houses into new homes for residents, helping newcomers build stable lives and establish roots in Gangjin. By turning vacant homes into valuable assets for the community, we will further develop the project so more people can start new lives in Gangjin." He added, "Vacant houses and population decline are challenges shared by rural regions nationwide. To help the vacant home remodeling policy spread, stable financial support and institutional backing from the central government are necessary."

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