Hoengseong, Yeongwol, and Goseong counties flesh out the 'Gangwon Sumgyeol Empty House Utilization Pilot Project', regenerating them into local assets
Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province held the 2nd meeting of the "2026 Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Empty House Management Governance" on Friday, October 16 at the Liberty Hall of the Gangwon Institute, with about 60 attendees including officials from the province and 18 cities and counties, as well as empty house management advisory committee members.

This meeting was arranged to review the progress of policies centered around the Empty House Management Governance launched in the 1st meeting last April, and to seek practical solutions to difficulties occurring in the field. In particular, the focus was placed on increasing empty house renovation performance while utilizing available empty houses as residential and startup spaces, connecting them to the improvement of local settlement conditions and the recovery of vitality.

In accordance with the "Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Empty House Management Comprehensive Plan" established in December of last year, the province is steadily promoting a mid-to-long-term roadmap to invest a total of 35.8 billion won by 2030 to renovate 3,050 units, which accounts for 43% of all empty houses (7,091 units). In particular, in 2027, the province plans to accelerate its response to regional extinction by renovating a total of 625 empty houses—adding 120 units from city/county self-governed projects to the originally planned 505 units.

As a core agenda item for the day, the "Gangwon Sumgyeol Empty House Utilization Pilot Project," which revives empty houses into new regional assets, was discussed. The three selected cities and counties (Hoengseong-gun, Yeongwol-gun, and Goseong-gun) plan to invest a total of 3.3 billion won (including 1.5 billion won in funds and 1.8 billion won in county expenses) to utilize 15 empty houses.

Hoengseong-gun will create rental housing for rural studying and returning-to-farm/countryside, Yeongwol-gun will build rural studying (family stay type) and community centers, and Goseong-gun presented detailed execution plans to transform empty houses into youth entrepreneurship and complex spaces such as long- and short-term rental housing and book cafes/village libraries, followed by professional consulting and Q&A sessions with advisory committee members.

The province plans to create a "Gangwon-style Empty House Utilization Model" that connects this empty house utilization pilot project with population influx and improved settlement conditions. To this end, cities and counties will faithfully prepare for the overall project from purchasing empty houses to remodeling, operation, and follow-up management, while the province plans to enhance project completion by utilizing the expertise of the advisory group and support the dissemination of best practices to other cities and counties.

In addition, through on-site communication, the province and cities/counties agreed to actively utilize the announcement procedures of the newly established special law regarding the delay of demolition consent due to unclear owners and inheritance, and gathered their will to actively improve practical suggestions from cities and counties—such as expanding dedicated personnel and making financial support ratios realistic—through central government recommendations and provincial-municipal consultations.

Kim Soon-ha, Head of the Architecture Division, stated, "In line with the 9th popularly elected provincial administration vision, 'Making Gangwon Special and Residents Happy,' empty house renovation is not just about tearing down buildings, but a core task of regional regeneration that improves the residential environment of residents and attracts population," adding, "Based on the professional insights of the advisory group and the field experience of cities and counties, we will successfully settle the Gangwon-style empty house renovation and utilization model."

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