Renovating Fishing Village Experience Resorts into Local Tourism and Experience Attractions

Selecting four sites for the 2025 Fishing Village Experience Resort Improvement Project

 The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Kang Do-hyung) announced that it has selected Baekmiri Village in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, Gunghang Village in Tongyeong-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, Sandaldo Village in Geoje-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, and Beophwan Village in Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do as target sites for the 2025 Fishing Village Experience Resort Upgrade Project.

 Implemented since 2015, the Upgrade Project fosters specialized fishing villages where visitors can comfortably enjoy fishing village experiences and accommodations by improving convenience facilities such as experience centers and accommodations. The project has enhanced convenience and satisfaction for rural fishing village tourists while increasing direct income for local communities. For example, Ponae Village in Jung-gu, Incheon Metropolitan City built an indoor experience facility through the 2019 Upgrade Project, resulting in an average annual increase of 23.8% in visitors. The caravan site in Gungpyeong-ri, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do—scheduled to open in 2025—is expected to generate an additional KRW 150 million in annual income.

 A total of 18 villages applied for this year's modernization project, and the Selection Committee—which included external experts—selected four villages following a fair evaluation. Each selected village will receive KRW 800 million over two years. The project will incorporate Stay Bada70, an integrated unified lodging brand for fishing village homestays launched last year, to develop villages specializing in accommodation experiences.

 The following are the major improvements for the four selected villages:

 ▲Baekmiri Village in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do plans to build caravan facilities preferred by families to increase the length of visitors' stay. ▲Gunghang Village in Tongyeong-si, Gyeongsangnam-do plans to remodel aging existing accommodations to increase tourist satisfaction. ▲Sandaldo Village in Geoje-si, Gyeongsangna-do plans to renovate a closed school facility into a modern pension for visitors. ▲Beophwan Village in Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do plans to create guesthouse-style accommodations preferred by young visitors and link it with the haenyeo (female divers) cultural experience as the village's representative content.

 “We hope tourists will enjoy a new type of comfortable rest by the sea at the fishing village experience resorts and continue to monitor and train management staff to improve the quality of services provided by the village even after the completion of the Upgrade Project,” Minister Kang Do-hyung said.