Village Transformed

[Anchor Lead]

A farming village that was once overwhelmed by the smell of nearby livestock manure and garbage has been recast as an environmentally-friendly energy town. Learn more in this next story.

[Pkg]

This is a farming village in Hongcheon, Gangwon-do Province. It was called a "stinky village," where residents were driven away by the stench from the livestock manure processing facility and sewage treatment plant. But the village was transformed into Korea's first environmentally friendly energy town at the end of last year. Livestock excretions and food waste were recycled into bio gas to be used by local residents and sold as city gas. The village also makes about 165,000 dollars a year by producing compost and liquid fertilizer and by generating solar energy.

[Soundbite] Kim Il-su(Pres., Somaegok-ri Senior Citizens' Assn.) : "Everything goes out through the pipes, so it doesn't smell anymore and the environment is more pleasant. There are many conveniences."

The improved village environment is bringing back residents. Energy town projects like the one in Hongcheon are underway in 19 locations nationwide.

[Soundbite] Park Geun-hye(President) : "It can be called the second New Community Movement and an exemplary case of the creative economy."

The government plans to expand the program to create Korean-style smart cities and smart farms, which would generate more jobs and tour packages for rural communities.