By Song Mi-ryung, minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs

Can rural areas in South Korea give the nation new hope? According to an analysis conducted by the Bank of Korea last year, the level of population concentration in Korea’s urban areas was 431.9 percent, more than four times higher than the OECD average of 95.3 percent. This research findings show that, if the country succeeds in lowering its urban population concentration level to the OECD average, then the total fertility rate -- the average number of expected births per woman aged 15 to 49 -- could potentially bounce back.

However, the reality facing Korea’s rural areas is somewhat daunting. The lack of education, medical and other community facilities, as well as haphazard rural development, makes it challenging for those living a rural life. In the worst case, a hodgepodge of factories built in a rural area not only mars the rustic landscape but also undermines the health and well-being of rural residents by emitting foul odors and discharging toxic materials into the environment.

The underlying cause of these problems lies in the absence of a blueprint for the systematic development and conservation of rural areas. This problem is a stark contrast to urban areas, where different land uses, such as residential, commercial and industrial, are carefully laid out through urban planning and then a physical environment is built according to the plan. Now is the time to come up with a new strategy to take care of the rural areas, which comprise 89 percent of the national territory, in a systematic way and under a long-term plan.

Then, the question is: What picture should we draw for the future of rural areas in Korea? If rural areas offer decent jobs and pleasant residential settings equipped with a full range of community infrastructure, including educational and medical facilities as well as other neighborhood amenities, who wouldn’t want to live there? In other words, we need to draw a blueprint for rural placemaking to unlock the potential of rural areas and turn them into vibrant communities.

The Act on Remaking and Revitalizing Rural Areas, which went into effect in March this year, makes it mandatory for the central government and 139 local governments to draw up a master plan every decade. Under a more bottom-up approach to rural development, the central government sets out minimum guidelines, and local governments draw up detailed rural placemaking plans based on their unique needs and local characteristics.

What lies at the center of this effort is to designate seven special rural zoning districts. A rural placemaking plan divides the project area into function-based special zones such as rural residential protection districts, rural industrial zones, rural cross-sectoral convergence districts, etc. The plan also promotes the grouping of residential areas and industrial facilities into separate clusters by easing regulations governing farmland and supporting the renovation and relocation of existing facilities. By concentrating community services in residential areas and thereby enhancing the quality of life of rural residents, while clustering industrial facilities and managing such clustering according to a plan, a rural municipality can control haphazard development in the area. In addition, the plan applies exceptions from relevant regulations to a rural cross-sectoral convergence district, thus promoting the starting of various businesses by allowing the use of idle facilities, vacant places and rural resources such as idyllic landscapes and cultural assets.

What is more important is that the central government, local governments, local residents and private companies should take part and collaborate in the planning and implementation process. If a local government gathers creative ideas for remaking and revitalizing a rural area ranging from a rural village to a municipality, through residents’ proposals and a resident consultation process, and then incorporates those ideas into its rural placemaking plan, the central government will provide greater support for the rural project.

Rural areas are not just about farming. They can become a valuable space for people to live, work and relax. I believe that rural areas can give new hope for Korea in providing diverse opportunities and happiness for people and addressing the fertility crisis. I would like to ask for your continued support for the remaking of Korea’s rural areas.

Song Mi-ryung is the minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs. The views expressed in this column are her own. -- Ed.