Seoul Economic Daily | 15 Sep 2026
https://www.verticalfarmdaily.com/article/9871320/south-korea-damyang-county-chief-bets-on-ai-smart-farming-to-reach-70-000-residents/
Damyang County, a rural area in the newly launched Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Metropolitan City facing the risk of population collapse, has set a target of 70,000 residents for its ninth elected local administration. That means adding some 20,000 people to the county’s current population of about 44,000. The plan is to address the region’s problems, a shrinking and aging population, a shortage of jobs and a lack of farm labor, by expanding the economic base that generates new jobs and income. County Chief Park Jong-won’s central bet to get there is artificial intelligence-driven smart farming.
In a recent interview with The Seoul Economic Daily, Park outlined his administration’s direction, saying he would “raise Damyang’s competitiveness by adding advanced industry as a new growth pillar to the county’s existing strengths in agriculture and tourism.”
Park, who unseated the incumbent county chief in the June 3 local elections, has spent nearly two decades in local politics, serving as both a county and a provincial council member. Upon taking office, he set out “an era of a 1 trillion won budget and an AI smart green city of 70,000 people” as the top goal of his term.
The starting point is agriculture. The county will raise its farm budget gradually to 150 billion won during Park’s term to build a virtuous cycle that links production, distribution, processing and sales.