This study aims to mitigate heatwave vulnerability in rural areas by identifying heatwave-vulnerable areas and analyzing suitable sites for installing cooling centers. To this end, overlapping analysis and Local Indicators of Spatial Association(LISA) analysis based on fuzzy theory were conducted on Sunchang-gun, Jeollabuk-do, to identify heatwave-vulnerable areas, and suitable sites requiring additional cooling centers were further analyzed, focusing on areas with high human accessibility. The main findings of the study are as follows. First, the overlay analysis identified four primary vulnerable areas: Sunchang-eup, Geumchang-ri in Gurim-myeon, Eochi-ri in Donggye-myeon, and Jangjang-ri in Geumgwa-myeon. Sunchang-eup showed the highest vulnerability value at 0.999. While Geumchang-ri, Eochi-ri, and Jangjang-ri had relatively low vulnerability values around 0.3, they still ranked high within the dispersed vulnerability distribution of the entire study area, indicating that they should be considered as priority sites for supplementing cooling centers. Second, the LISA analysis, which focused on spatial statistical significance, identified heatwave-vulnerable areas(hot spots) in the same regions derived as heatwave-vulnerable areas through the overlay analysis. This study is significant in that it proposes priorities for installing and supplementing cooling centers in rural areas and performs analyses reflecting rural characteristics such as agricultural promotion zones and elderly population distribution. Furthermore, by combining overlay analysis and LISA analysis, the former identified the intensity and location of vulnerability while the latter determined concentration and statistical significance. This allowed for the simultaneous identification of the spatial distribution patterns of vulnerability and their statistical significance, which is difficult to achieve using a single technique. However, the study relies on single-point data such as satellite-derived surface temperature and vegetation indices, which is a limitation. Therefore, future research should combine multi-year time-series data, various socioeconomic variables, and field surveys.
A Study on Life Satisfaction by Distance Zones from Service Hubs for Resolving Service Disparities in Rural Areas - Focusing on a Village-level Empirical Analysis -
Approximately 80% of South Korea's population resides in urban areas occupying only 10% of the land, leading to significant infrastructure gaps and regional decline in rural areas. This study provides fundamental data for micro-village spatial planning under the 2024 ‘Act on the Restructuring and Revitalization of Rural Spaces’. Focusing on Danchon-myeon, Uiseong-gun, it empirically investigates how spatial hierarchy from the center affects residential satisfaction. The results are as follows: First, life satisfaction exhibited a non-linear ‘U-shaped’ pattern relative to distance. Satisfaction was highest within 800m (3.88 points) but rebounded in peripheral hubs (3.73 points) due to specialized infrastructure. Second, the study demarcated zones based on inflection points, capturing the ‘Critical Impact’ of distance and environmental factors. Third, regression analysis showed that explanatory power improved up to sevenfold by zone (Zone B: 46.0%, Zone D: 39.3%). Determinants varied significantly: ‘Medical treatment’ was primary in Zone A, ‘Barn area’ (-) in Zone B, and ‘Number of barns’ (-) in Zone C, while ‘Community events’ drove satisfaction in Zone D. Fourth, the scale and density of livestock facilities had differential impacts, necessitating place-based management. These findings suggest shifting toward place-based village strategies and resident-led ‘Community Agreements’ for sustainable rural development.
This study argues that the discourses and policies of urban and rural regeneration in South Korea―historically fragmented during the era of compressed economic growth―are converging in response to the “local extinction” crisis that has intensified since the mid-2010s. Initially, Korea's policy paradigm created a dichotomy: urban regeneration targeted the “relative decline” of decaying downtowns in metropolitan areas, while rural regeneration addressed “absolute decline,” characterized by severe population outflow and population aging. This conceptual divergence resulted in the establishment of separate, independent policy domains. However, as the threat of local extinction has expanded into a universal national crisis, these boundaries have blurred. Rural regeneration policies have expanded to address issues of relative decline, such as unregulated sprawl in peri-urban areas. Conversely, urban regeneration policies have begun to confront absolute decline, including severe depopulation in small and medium-sized cities. This study demonstrates that this trajectory represents a shift toward a “comprehensive regional regeneration” model. This convergence is substantiated by evidence of policy isomorphism across three dimensions: policy problems, targets, and means. Consequently, the research argues for a reconceptualization of the traditional perspective that treats urban and rural regeneration as disparate fields. It advocates for an integrated, place-based approach to regional regeneration that transcends the urban-rural dichotomy.
Selection Process for Candidate Rural Specialized Zones in the Early Stage of the Rural Spatial Restructuring Act - Site Suitability and Social Acceptability Analysis Case of Hongcheon-gun -
To address population decline and unplanned development in rural areas, the “Act on Support for Rural Space Restructuring and Regeneration” (2024) requires local governments to establish rural spatial plans. The core of this plan is efficient spatial management through the designation of Rural Specialized Zones. However, local governments face challenges in implementation due to the lack of specific designation criteria and methodologies. Therefore, this study established a process for deriving candidate Rural Specialized Zones in Hongcheon-gun by comprehensively considering GIS-based site suitability analysis and social acceptability through resident demand surveys. Based on the analysis, Duchon-myeon was selected as the final pilot site, demonstrating a strong alignment between physically/legally available land and residents’ development demands. Consequently, a dual spatial model linking ‘Rural Village Protection Zones’ and ‘Rural Convergence Industrial Complex’ was proposed, along with revitalization strategies. This study aims to contribute to future local government designation of Rural Specialized Zones by presenting a decision-making model that bridges the gap between quantitative spatial data and qualitative resident needs.
This study explores contemporary societal perceptions of rural areas in Korea through sentiment analysis of YouTube comments. Focusing on explicit definitional statements framed as “rural areas are,” a total of 532 comments were analyzed, including 382 comments from an AURI TV video representing a policy-academic context and 150 comments from rural life and return-to-farm videos representing a practical-experiential context. Sentiment analysis using the KNU Korean Sentiment Lexicon was combined with keyword frequency analysis and Ward's hierarchical cluster analysis to examine the context-dependency and discourse structure of rural perceptions. The results reveal substantial contextual disparities. The policy-academic context exhibited a positive mean sentiment score (+0.497), emphasizing emotional value keywords such as “nature,” “healing,” and “hope.” In contrast, the experiential context showed a strongly negative mean sentiment score (-1.833), dominated by keywords related to failure, exclusion, and discrimination. Cluster analysis identified a three-layer structure of rural perception―policy, environmental-living, and emotional discourse―of which the emotional layer accounted for over 94% of total discourse and exhibited the strongest context effects. These findings demonstrate a dual structure of rurality as both a valued symbolic space and a difficult lived space. They further suggest that rural policy should balance symbolic value promotion with improvements in everyday living conditions.
The Effect of Experience Content Quality Rural Tourism on Positive Word-of-Mouth Intention of Tourists - Multiple Mediating Effects of Experience, Value, and Flow -
This study investigates the impact of experience content quality on the positive word-of-mouth intentions of rural tourists. Positive word-of-mouth intention is a critical behavioral outcome in rural tourism, as it drives new visitor acquisition, repeat visits, and organic marketing at no additional cost. Furthermore, it empirically examines the multiple mediating roles of tourists’ experience, perceived value, and flow within this relationship. Data were collected via an online survey from 355 adults who had participated in rural tourism within the past year, utilizing a 5-point Likert scale. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 29.0 and AMOS 29.0. The analytical procedure included reliability testing, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modeling (SEM).
The findings are as follows: First, experience content quality exerted a significant positive effect on experience and perceived value. Second, experience, perceived value, and flow all had significant positive effects on positive WOM intention. Third, regarding the multiple mediating effects, experience and perceived value fully mediated the relationship between content quality and positive WOM intention, whereas the mediating effect of flow was not statistically significant. The non-significant mediation of flow suggests that flow is more closely linked to subjective experiential processes than to objective content quality, pointing to the importance of intrinsic motivation and personal engagement in future research. Unlike prior studies that primarily adopt service quality or experience elements (4Es) as antecedents with satisfaction or revisit intention as outcomes, this study differentiates itself by positioning experience content quality as the independent variable, positive WOM intention as the dependent variable, and simultaneously verifying three parallel psychological mediating pathways using bootstrapping. This study contributes to the theoretical advancement of rural tourism literature by comprehensively elucidating the psychological mechanisms that drive tourist behavior, and offers practical implications for rural tourism operators seeking to stimulate positive WOM through strategic enhancement of experience content quality.
Establishing a Rural Spatial Implementation System through Regional Support Institutions - A Multilevel Governance Perspective with Comparative Case Studies -
최희진 Choi Heejin , 배성훈 Bae Sunghoon , 김은솔 Kim Eunsol , 박소영 Park Soyoung , 강은지 Kang Eunji , 권기덕 Kwon Giduck , 이재호 Lee Jaeho
This study defines the roles of regional support institutions and proposes a phased implementation roadmap under the 2024 Act on the Restructuring and Regeneration of Rural Space. An integrated analytical framework is developed based on four theoretical approaches: Multilevel Governance (MLG), policy transfer theory, neo-institutionalism, and the organizational maturity model. A multiple-case study examines six international cases―ACRE (UK), GAK (Germany), CAUE (France), PRE (Switzerland), RESAS (Japan), and the Netherlands’ national monitoring system―and three domestic cases in Korea (Hongseong, Seosan, and Cheongyang). Data are collected through document analysis of academic literature, legislation, government reports, and evaluation materials. Through cross-case comparison and open coding, ten core roles are identified: five legally grounded roles (policy planning and coordination, management of local support institutions, data-driven decision-making, capacity building, and governance operation) and five empirically derived roles (expert advisory, funding management, field-level coordination, organizational change management, and regional human resource development). Based on case recurrence, legal grounding, and urgency, role priorities under resource constraints are established. A three-stage roadmap―foundation (1-3 years), expansion (3-7 years), and autonomous operation (beyond 7 years)―is proposed, with transitions defined by capability rather than time. The study contributes by offering a theoretically grounded and empirically informed framework for rural spatial governance and practical policy design guidance.
Analysis of Population Determinants and Spatial Restructuring Strategies by Micro-spatial Typology in Rural Villages - Focusing on Building Location Characteristics within Village Hall Pedestrian Catchment Areas using GIS Network Analysis -
Modern rural areas face severe population decline due to the paradoxical mixture of haphazard over-development and stagnant under-development. This study empirically analyzes how micro-spatial structures - centered on the village hall as a functional zero-point - influence population dynamics. By analyzing 399 administrative villages (Haengjeong-ri) in Uiseong-gun using GIS and building register data, this study classified rural villages into three spatial structure types based on building use distribution across three distance zones: ‘Rural Compact Model,’ ‘Rural Detached-Diffuse Model,’ and ‘Rural Settlement Survival Model.’ Multiple regression analysis revealed that population determinants varied significantly by type. For the Rural Compact Model, while central housing and basic commercial facilities drove the population, outskirt residential sprawl and the intrusion of incompatible non-residential facilities in the center hindered it, highlighting the necessity of strict functional zoning (spatial purity). In the Rural Detached-Diffuse Model, the strategic synergy between residential and commercial functions within the intermediate zone acted as the primary population anchor. In the Rural Settlement Survival Model, peripheral commercial hubs functioned as a vital ‘lifeline’ despite the pressure from outskirt disamenities. Furthermore, by calculating ‘unit loads’ (required facility area per capita) through the unstandardized coefficients(B), this study developed type-specific population defense scenarios based on each model's strategic goals. These quantitative indicators provide an objective framework for optimizing land use, restricting disamenities, and prioritizing public investment in shrinking rural communities. These findings provide a solid basis for type-specific Rural Spatial Planning Guidelines under the recent “Act on Support for Restructuring and Regeneration of Rural Spaces.”
