Korean Reading Practice

농촌 활기 더하는 ‘반값여행’…전국 확산 기대

📅 December 26, 2025

1Introduction

This reading explores an innovative tourism initiative in rural South Korea called “half-price travel,” which offers significant discounts to visitors in exchange for exploring designated tourist attractions. The program has proven highly successful in revitalizing local economies and attracting visitors to rural areas that might otherwise struggle with population decline.

2Vocabulary

Korean Romanization Meaning Example
농촌 nongchon rural area, countryside 농촌 지역에 많은 관광객이 찾아왔다.Many tourists came to the rural area.
반값 bangap half price 반값으로 여행을 할 수 있어서 좋았다.It was great to be able to travel at half price.
정책 jeongchaek policy 새로운 관광 정책이 시행되었다.A new tourism policy was implemented.
상품권 sangpumgwon gift certificate, voucher 지역 상품권으로 돈을 돌려받았다.I received money back as local vouchers.
소멸 somyeol extinction, disappearance 인구 소멸 위기에 처한 지역이다.It’s an area facing a population extinction crisis.
활기 hwalgi vitality, liveliness 마을에 활기가 넘친다.The village is full of vitality.
예산 yesan budget 올해 관광 예산이 늘어났다.This year’s tourism budget has increased.
효과 hyogwa effect, result 경제적 효과가 매우 크다.The economic effect is very significant.
소비 sobi consumption, spending 관광객들의 소비가 늘었다.Tourist spending has increased.
조건 jogeon condition, requirement 여행 지원에는 특별한 조건이 있다.There are special conditions for travel support.
집계 jipgye tally, calculation 총 방문자 수가 집계되었다.The total number of visitors was tallied.
탄력 tallyeok momentum, elasticity 사업이 탄력을 받고 있다.The project is gaining momentum.

3Reading Text

강진군에서 시작된 반값여행 프로그램이 전국적으로 주목받고 있다.

The half-price travel program that started in Gangjin County is receiving nationwide attention.

이 프로그램은 외부 관광객이 강진을 방문하면 여행비의 50%를 지역상품권으로 돌려주는 혁신적인 정책이다.

This program is an innovative policy that returns 50% of travel costs to outside tourists visiting Gangjin in the form of local vouchers.

한 사람당 최대 10만원, 두 명 이상 팀은 20만원까지 지원받을 수 있어 많은 여행객들이 관심을 보이고 있다.

With support of up to 100,000 won per person and 200,000 won for teams of two or more, many travelers are showing interest.

강진군은 인구 감소와 지역 경제 침체 문제를 해결하기 위해 이런 창의적인 방법을 도입했다.

Gangjin County introduced this creative method to solve problems of population decline and local economic stagnation.

여행객들은 가우도나 강진만 생태공원 같은 지정된 관광지를 반드시 방문해야 지원을 받을 수 있다.

Travelers must visit designated tourist attractions such as Gaudo Island or Gangjin Bay Ecological Park to receive support.

작년에 22억원의 예산을 투입한 결과, 240억원 이상의 경제적 파급 효과를 거두었다.

As a result of investing 2.2 billion won in budget last year, they achieved an economic ripple effect of over 24 billion won.

관광객들이 강진에서 실제로 소비한 금액과 상품권 사용액을 합하면 총 69억원에 달했다.

The total amount that tourists actually spent in Gangjin plus voucher usage reached 6.9 billion won.

이런 성공적인 결과로 인해 다른 농촌 지역들도 비슷한 프로그램 도입을 검토하고 있다.

Due to these successful results, other rural areas are also considering introducing similar programs.

4Comprehension Questions

Q1
What percentage of travel costs does the Gangjin half-price travel program reimburse to visitors?
Q2
What is the maximum amount of support available for individual travelers and teams?
Q3
What conditions must tourists meet to receive the travel support?
Q4
How much budget did Gangjin County invest in the program last year, and what was the resulting economic impact?
Q5
Why do you think other rural areas are interested in adopting similar programs?

5Cultural Notes

This half-price travel initiative reflects South Korea’s broader challenges with rural depopulation and the creative solutions local governments are developing to address economic decline. Many rural counties in Korea face similar demographic pressures as young people migrate to urban areas, making innovative tourism policies like this increasingly important for maintaining local communities. The use of local vouchers rather than cash refunds is a strategic choice that ensures tourist spending directly benefits local businesses and keeps economic benefits within the community.

Source: Naver News |
Original Article

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