Bonghwa County unveils 5-year roadmap to combat population decline

Bonghwa County has approved its second Basic Plan for Responding to Population Decline, covering the period from 2027 to 2031. The initiative aims to recover the local population to 30,000 residents by shifting focus from simple facility construction to practical measures that encourage continuous residency, employment, and repeat visits.

The plan is built upon four major strategies: regional vitality and relationship population, settlement housing and living infrastructure, jobs and income activities, and care and essential medical safety nets. To achieve these, the county will implement 19 action tasks and 59 detailed projects.

Key projects include the ‘K-Vietnam Valley’ to create a cultural exchange and tourism hub, AI-driven demand-responsive transportation (DRT), the ‘Bonghwa-style Sunlight Income Village,’ and regional coexistence projects related to pumped-storage power generation. County Governor Choi Ki-young stated that the administration will focus on securing national and provincial funds to leverage the region's forest, ecological, and cultural resources to overcome the crisis of local extinction.