South Chungcheongnam-do Province announced Wednesday that Dangjin City has been selected for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' "2026 Open-Field Smart Agriculture Development Zone" initiative, securing a total project budget of 95 billion won ($67 million).
The Open-Field Smart Agriculture Development Zone program aims to integrate open-field farming with information and communication technology (ICT). The large-scale hub development project seeks to transform open-field agriculture—which accounts for 96% of total farmland—into data-driven smart agriculture to address structural challenges including climate abnormalities and an aging rural population.
With this selection, the province will establish a 418-hectare open-field potato smart agriculture zone in Yeongcheon-ri, Songak-eup (production zone) and Jaeoei-ro, Hapdeok-eup (linkage zone) in Dangjin City over three years through 2028. The zone will focus on potato varieties including Chubek, Dubek, and Seolbong.
The project will be carried out by a consortium comprising Dangjin City, producer organizations including the Potato Research Association and Ssangdungi Agricultural Cooperative, Kongju National University's Smart Future Agriculture Education and Research Center, and smart farm solution companies.
The 95 billion won budget includes 49.1 billion won from the central government and 30.1 billion won from local governments, with implementation divided into three core areas.
For smart infrastructure development, 16 billion won will be invested in irrigation system upgrades and the establishment of wireless communication networks and real-time integrated monitoring stations to create optimal conditions for smart equipment operation.
For solution deployment, 76 billion won will fund large-scale distribution of cutting-edge intelligent farming technologies, including autonomous tractors, seeders, and harvesters; AI-powered pest monitoring drones; and soil sensors.
For technical capacity building, 3 billion won will support farmer training using data analysis equipment and smart simulators, along with distribution of precision cultivation manuals.
The province plans to increase potato production by 16,044 tons by 2029, achieving a 10% improvement in yield per unit area by modernizing outdated field infrastructure beyond simple smart farm construction.
These efforts are expected to boost overall productivity by 12% and reduce labor requirements by 25%.
"Smart transformation of open-field agriculture is not optional but essential to respond to the climate crisis and labor shortages," a provincial official said. "Starting with Dangjin's selection as a development zone, we will gradually expand smart conversion of regional open-field specialty crops such as onions, garlic, and ginger to establish an international standard model for open-field smart agriculture and increase farm household income."