With more mainlanders moving to Jeju all the time, local authorities have organized a program for them about local life before they move to the island. People who’ve participated say it offers a good opportunity to get a feel for the local culture by visiting villages and meeting people who have already moved here and opened new businesses. Joseph Kim reports.
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Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju City

These farmers are unaccustomed to harvesting crops. However, as soon as they taste paprika they picked themselves, there are big smiles on their faces.

A group of people who hope to move to Jeju are gathered in a rural village where its residents are busy harvesting this year’s crop.

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New tours for those moving to Jeju

The provincial government prepared a ‘Jeju Life’ experience program to help them successfully adapt to rural life in Jeju.

[INTERVIEW]
Yang Han-sik / Director, Provincial dept. of balanced development
With the growing number of mainlanders moving to Jeju, we organized a program to help them adapt to life here by giving them helpful information and a preview of local culture.
<인터뷰 : 양한식/제주도 지역균형발전과장>
"제주로 이주해오는 정착주민들이 급증함에 따라서 이분들이 실패를 하지 않도록 사전에 제주문화와 정보를 습득하고 현장에서 직접 영농체험을 실시해..."

[camera]
Park Byeong-jun

More than 80 percent of the participants are now living in metropolitan areas including Seoul, and retirees in their 50’s showed the highest participation rate.

[INTERVIEW]
Yoon Seok-hee / Gyeonggi-do Province
I retired earlier than expected. Without work, I had no reason to live in the Seoul area, so I decided to move to Jeju.
<인터뷰 : 윤석희/경기도 성남시 분당구>
"예상보다 일찍 명퇴를 했어요. 결국은 직장생활을 하지 않으면 서울에 살 이유가 없다는 생각이 들어서 제주도에 정착하기로 결정을 하고…"

A newly-wed couple also participated in this tour because of high housing prices in the capital region.

[INTERVIEW]
Im Gwang-hee, Kim Hae-jeong / Seoul
To get a new home, we will have to take out a large loan, which will take five or ten years to repay. We aren’t sure that life is for us...
<인터뷰 : 임광희/김혜정/서울특별시 영등포구>
"이사를 해야하는데 당장 대출금이 많이 필요하더라고요. 대출을 하게 되면 5년, 10년 계속 직장생활을 해야 하는데 그런 거에 회의를 느껴서…"

The local government is receiving many inquiries about the tour, which shows the popularity of Jeju for the mainlanders as a place to settle down.
Thanks to the program, participants had quality time to look around and learn about life in the rural villages of Jeju.

[reporter]
Joseph Kim

Villagers who moved to Jeju before the participants gave useful tips for them. With the migration boom, the local authorities’ program provides a wonderful opportunity to experience Jeju life before they move to the island.

Joseph Kim KCTV