Empty Houses Reborn: Declining Village Turns into Foodie Hotspot
Creatrip Team
3 months ago
In Changnyeong’s An-ri village, birthplace of the beloved children’s song “Santokki” (literal: “mountain rabbit”), four vacant houses were remodeled into a dining complex called "Santokki Bapsang" — a project funded by the county with help from a private company and run by young local entrepreneurs. Opened in April, the site houses four restaurants serving familiar Korean and international comfort foods, offers outdoor seating in traditional-style homes, and connects to nearby attractions like the Santokki Song Garden and Upo Wetland. In six months the venue drew about 65,700 visitors, boosting local pride, creating jobs (including plans for senior work programs), and encouraging further rural regeneration projects through added cafés, trails, and winter amenities. The initiative is presented as a model of repurposing empty rural houses to revive communities and local economies.
