Gyeonggi’s Happy Farm Contest Winner: Sewol-ri Village

What is happy farm contest that has been held for eight years in South Korea, and who is the winner of the 2021?

Happy Farm Contest

For the eighth year, the Happy Farm Contest seeks to celebrate and revitalize farming communities around Korea through an amicable competition. The Happy Farm Contest emulates one that has taken place in Germany since 1961 under the slogan “Future Lives Within Our Village.”

Participants in this contest are highly satisfied with the benefits it brings. One reason for this satisfaction is that villagers put their heads together to highlight the strengths of their communities. According to the 2020 Happy Farm Contest satisfaction survey, this not only results in better relationships among residents but also bolsters tourist attractions.

This August, the contest was conducted through online evaluations, and Sewol-ri Village of Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi Province, was selected along with 24 other villages around the country.

Sewol-ri Village Selected as a Winner

In the category of culture and welfare, Sewol-ri Village saw its name included on the list of contest winners.

As a small village situated along Golan Valley and the Namhangang River, Sewol-ri features many attractions created by various village artisans and artisits. For example, a rice straw artisan, who was born in Sewol-ri and has lived there for more than 80 years uses straw to create a variety of household items – including bags, shoes, brooms, farming utensils, and decorative pieces – and operates an experiential program to remind children of traditional skills that have almost been forgotten.

Sewol-ri Village Is Selected as a Winner of the Happy Farm Contest
ⓒGyeonggi Province

There is also an art house in Sewol-ri that embodies the unique philosophy of utilizing unused and discarded objects. Thanks to an artist who, since returning to the village 15 years ago, constantly creates art pieces for his wife by utilizing discarded objects, an art house full of handmade toys was born.

The electric poles along the roads in Sewol-ri are also unique. This is the accomplishment of an artist named Kim Kyung-hee. In her workshop, visitors can find dolls reflecting 108 different women, and there are different messages portrayed in each face, pose, and movement.

Sewol-ri also boasts its artistic and creative features all around the village
ⓒGyeonggi Province

Artists living in Sewol-ri have installed creative works around the village with the hope of fostering happiness among villagers who had endured tough times during the pandemic. These works have become photo zones and spaces full of stories for residents and visitors. This is how Sewol-ri found its vitality, and the increase in the number of students as well as in the number of households has helped promote culture and education.