InterviewGochang looks to its past to build sustainable future

Gochang County Mayor Shim Deok-seob / Courtesy of Gochang County

Gochang, a coastal county in North Jeolla Province long known for its dolmens and tidal flats, is positioning itself as a “sustainable world heritage city” and leveraging its cultural assets to confront depopulation and build a new model for rural development.

The county holds multiple internationally recognized designations. Its dolmen, or stone tomb, site and tidal flats are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, while Ungok Wetland was designated under the Ramsar Convention in 2011. In addition, Gochang’s coastal area and the entire county have been recognized by UNESCO as a Global Geopark and Biosphere Reserve.

Separately, in 2023, archives of the Donghak Peasant Revolution, which took place in the Gochang area in 1894, were added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. The county is also deeply rooted in traditional Korean culture, including pansori (musical storytelling) and nongak (community band music, dance and ritual), both listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

In a recent written interview with The Korea Times, Gochang County Mayor Shim Deok-seob said the next decade will be critical for the county of just over 50,000 residents, as it pursues another UNESCO designation and expands tourism investment to create a viable model for rural development.

Gochang Eupseong / Courtesy of Gochang County

Another UNESCO bid

The county’s next goal is to have traditional walled towns, known as “eupseong,” recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Gochang is home to two Joseon-era eupseong fortresses — Gochang Eupseong and Mujang Eupseong — originally built to defend against Japanese invasions. “We believe Korea’s eupseong fortresses deserve World Heritage status, and now is the time to push for recognition so that heritage can support our future,” Shim said.

Gochang Eupseong, a landmark in the county seat, was constructed with labor from 19 jurisdictions across the Jeolla region — a story that lives on in the popular “dapseong nori” fortress walking ritual, now a signature local festival. Mujang Eupseong, a rare lowland fortress begun in 1417 on a seaside plain, is noted for its well-documented construction and its role as a key commemorative site of the Donghak Peasant Revolution.

For the county, another UNESCO inscription would not be just a title, Shim said. “It will be a tool to raise global awareness, attract visitors and create pride that can keep the county young and vibrant.”

Borinara Hagwon Farm in Gochang County, North Jeolla Province, the largest barley field in Korea / Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization

Much to offer

Beyond its recognized heritage, Gochang offers diverse natural and cultural attractions.

“Gochang embraces mountains, fields, rivers, sea and tidal flats,” Shim said. “We want families to enjoy nature, food, shopping and lodging all in one place on our coast, and to grow into Korea’s top sunset beach destination.”

Located on Korea’s southwest coast, roughly midway between Gunsan and Gwangju, Gochang stretches from inland hills and wetlands to the West Sea. Within a single jurisdiction, it encompasses mountains, farmland, rivers, tidal flats and the 8.5-kilometer Myeongsasimni Beach.

Its fertile plains and mild coastal climate have made it a major producer of watermelon, bokbunja (Korean black raspberry), melons, peanuts, sweet potatoes, freshwater eel and shellfish, reinforcing its identity as both an agricultural and a marine hub.

Eel served with bokbunja (Korean black raspberry) wine, a specialty of Gochang County / Courtesy of Gochang County

Infrastructure in the making

While Gochang is still seen as a rural area with limited tourism infrastructure, significant changes are underway as investment accelerates along its western coastline.

On a vast former salt field in the town of Simwon-myeon, the county has attracted about 350 billion won ($230 million) in private investment from Yongpyong Resort to build a large-scale seaside complex. By 2028, the project is set to deliver around 476 condo-style rooms, a 700-seat convention center and an 18-hole golf course, with an Olympic-standard canoe slalom arena and whitewater experience facility planned nearby.

Farther up the coast near Myeongsasimni Beach, Gochang is working with four midsized domestic firms on another 300-billion-won resort, hotel, retail and cultural cluster, while competing for a 1-trillion-won government-backed marine leisure tourism project.

New marketing efforts

To support these developments, the county is also rolling out a “sunset beach” branding campaign and a West Sea “sunset drive” route, linking coastal viewpoints, mudflat platforms and its planned Gochang Comprehensive Theme Park.

Gochang is also cooperating with major travel agencies to host tours for foreign ambassadors and influencers, and working with Korail on tourism development, including KTX day trip packages from Seoul.

Car-sharing service Socar has expanded its coverage zones to ease last-mile travel, while global platforms such as Trip.com and Klook are set to offer tailored promotions and discounts for the North Jeolla Tour Pass, covering attractions like Gochang Eupseong, the Dolmen Museum and Sangha Farm.

Gochang County Mayor Shim Deok-seop, fourth from right, attends the Samsung Electronics Smart Hub Complex groundbreaking ceremony in Gochang County, North Jeolla Province, Nov. 10, 2025. Courtesy of Gochang County

Smart hub, shrinking population

Behind the tourism push lies demographic urgency. Gochang’s population has declined from nearly 200,000 in the 1960s to just over 50,000 today, due to rapid aging and outmigration to bigger cities.

“Gochang’s biggest crisis is depopulation, but it is also our biggest motivation to change,” Shim said. He said the county is focusing on jobs, housing and education so that young people can stay and return.

In November, Samsung Electronics broke ground on its Smart Hub Complex in the Gochang New Vitality Industrial Complex, marking the company’s first major logistics investment in the region. The automated, eco-friendly logistics center is slated to create around 500 quality jobs when it goes into full operation.

“As county mayor, the groundbreaking was a deeply emotional moment,” Shim recalled. “We endured rumors and had to keep many details confidential, but our residents waited patiently. Now we will do everything administratively to support this project so that it becomes a sustainable investment that truly benefits local youth.”

Parallel to the smart hub, Gochang is pushing a 1.78-trillion-won Terminal Urban Regeneration Innovation District project that will replace the aging bus terminal with a mixed-use complex of transport facilities, shops, youth culture spaces and a small convention hall. Korea Land and Housing Corp. is planning to build 210 apartments for newlyweds and young residents across the street.

Gochang County government holds a welcome ceremony for foreign seasonal workers at Gochang Culture Center, May 24, 2024. / Courtesy of Gochang County

Foreign workers as neighbors

As farms in Gochang County struggle with labor shortages and youth migration, foreign residents are quietly reshaping the county’s daily life. The number of foreign seasonal workers has jumped from around 600 in 2023 to more than 3,000 already this year, the highest among Korean local governments, easing peak season labor pressures in orchards and fields.

“Foreign seasonal workers are now central players in our local economy, as producers and consumers,” Shim said. “Traditional markets are crowded thanks to them, and even local banks are expanding foreign exchange services.”

The county was the first in Korea to codify guidelines for appropriate farm wages for seasonal laborers, helping keep local pay levels more stable than in neighboring areas. It also built dedicated dormitories, now expanding to four zones across the county, and made safety insurance and checklists mandatory to prevent accidents. Local foreign residents have been hired as full-time civil servants to provide interpretation and mediate disputes between farmers and workers.

Thanks to these measures, unauthorized departure rates among seasonal workers have fallen significantly — from more than 80 percent in the early stages of the program to well under 1 percent in recent years, Shim explained.

Beyond seasonal workers, the county has also hired marriage migrants, including a Chinese-born civil servant who supports new arrivals and interprets for Chinese tour groups, as it moves to treat foreign residents as members of the community rather than temporary labor.

“If we can build a city where world heritage, industry and diverse communities thrive together, Gochang will become, as I like to call it, a city beyond imagination — a sustainable world heritage city that global travelers and new residents alike choose to call home and to visit,” Shim said.