Some of the closed-down schools in rural areas of the island have been transformed into artistic spaces, and now some communities are attempting to transform them into something profitable. Here’s Mike Balfour with a report on one such village that made a guesthouse out of its unused school building.

Eoeum-ri, Aewol-eup, Jeju City

In the room there is a bed with a nice wooden frame.
The two story building has nine single rooms and a shower room.

The furniture in the house is not luxurious but looks nice.
The comfortable living room looks like a decorated coffee shop.

This is a newly opened guesthouse in (애월) Aewol, Jeju City.
Area residents have renovated and opened a guesthouse in a school that was closed due to a decrease in students.

INTERVIEW
Bu Gi-bae / Chair, Eoeum 2-ri Community Council
More visitors keep coming to our village, so some people suggested transforming the closed school building into a guesthouse.
[인터뷰 부기배 / 제주시 애월읍 어음2리장]
"외부에서 찾아오는 사람도 많고 해서 이 것을 게스트하우스로 활용해보자는 의견이 있어 하게됐습니다. "

The small school had two classes and the last graduation ceremony was held in 1993.

[camera]
Park Byeong-joon

The provincial education office had rented out the facility to artists but the building has been poorly managed.

Not only visitors but also residents had neglected the facility.

[slug]
JDC offers financial support

The Jeju Free International City Development Center provided funding to the village to renovate the old school building to a guesthouse.

The guesthouse will be also used as a village information center.

Booths for local specialties like broccoli or cabbage will be set up and hands-on programs will be set up for visitors.

INTERVIEW
Bu Gi-bae / Chair, Eoeum 2-ri Community Council
We will display and sell local specialties at the guesthouse.
[인터뷰 부기배 / 제주시 애월읍 어음2리 이장]
"(특산물을) 전시도 하고 판매도 하고 팔기도 하는 등 그런 용도로 활용할 계획입니다."

The provincial education office is renting out 11 closed school buildings including (어음) Eoeum, (신평) Sinpyeong and (용수) Yongsu Elementary Schools to community councils for free. There are currently 32 closed schools on the island.

INTERVIEW
Park Hyeong-nam / Provincial Office of Education
Based on the Closed School Utilization Act, we're renting out closed schools for free or for very little rent to villages that want to use them for commercial endeavors.
[인터뷰 박형남 / 제주도교육청 교육재정과장 ]
" 저희들은 폐교재산 활용 촉진법에 의해 마을 주민들이 소득창출할 수 있도록 가급적 무상으로 임대해 드리고 있습니다. "

As the travel trend is changing, guesthouses are getting popular.

[reporter]
Mike Balfour

Villagers are making efforts to attract more tourists to their villages and profit from the transformed facilities.

Mike Balfour KCTV