Ecological and Cultural Approach to Rural Village Planning in Korea

Abstract

Rural area covers about 85 percent of Korean national land and exhibits diverse ecological and cultural resources. There are enormous opportunities of utilizing the ecological and cultural resources in rural village planning. The strategy of village planning has been changed from improving single elements of rural houses to making new villages. And the strategy is about to shift again to improving the existing old villages instead of making new villages. The new strategy intends to preserve the existing physical and social structures in the rural villages, to conserve ecological, cultural, and visual resources, and to increase income of rural residents. The experience of rural village planning during the last 30 years in Korea seems to suggest making rural villages with traditional rural characteristics as well as urban amenities. The challenge to rural village planning in Korea in the new millenium is to develop specific strategies for the conservation and wise use of ecological and cultural resources in rural areas.