Rural Life and Play: 30 Youths Spend 3 Days in Hongcheon's Mugunghwa Village

Thirty young adults aged 20-30 recently participated in a three-day rural tourism program in Mugunghwa Village, Hongcheon County, Gangwon Province. The program, titled 'That Summer, Ours,' offered participants an immersive experience in rural life, going beyond sightseeing to actively engage in the village's daily activities and labor.

Organized by local entertainment company Uptown Co., Ltd. from July 15th to 17th, the program included farm work assistance, village experiences, water activities, team-building exercises, evening gatherings, and a rural live program. Mugunghwa Village was selected for its rich resources in natural environment, living culture, and agricultural assets, suitable for developing stay-type tourism content. A pilot program in 2023 had already confirmed the potential for youth engagement and market viability.

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This farm work school was designed for young people to enter a day in the countryside and experience the village's daily life and relationships. It is important to connect rural resources in a way that young people can understand and participate in.

Uptown aims to further develop and refine this program, with a long-term vision of connecting various rural hubs in Hongcheon, such as Seoseok and Mugunghwa Village, to position Hongcheon as a leading 'countryside vacation' (촌캉스 - chon-cance) destination in South Korea. The program's structure emphasized participants living and working within the village, fostering interaction through shared meals and team activities alongside agricultural tasks.

This initiative is part of the '2026 Small-Scale Rural Experience Program Development Project,' which seeks to create rural experience programs utilizing local resources, encourage youth migration to rural areas, and test sustainable rural tourism models. "This farm work school was designed for young people to enter a day in the countryside and experience the village's daily life and relationships," said Kim Seong-hoon, CEO of Uptown. "It is important to connect rural resources in a way that young people can understand and participate in."

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Seeing young people come to the village, work in the fields together, and mingle, I felt new vitality in the village. I hope this program becomes an opportunity for young people to revisit the village, not just a one-time visit.