Travel
Namsa Yedam Village in Sancheong County selected for Culture Ministry’s ‘Local 100’ program
haps Magazine Korea
February 9, 2026
Namsa Yedam Village (Photo by Sancheong-gun/courtesy of haps Magazine Korea)
Sancheong‘s Namsa Yedam Village has been officially selected for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s “Local 100” program for its second cycle, covering 2026 to 2027.
The “Local 100” initiative identifies 100 regional sites nationwide with strong cultural and tourism appeal and supports their development as sustainable local brands.
The program is designed to respond to challenges such as population decline and regional imbalance, shifting away from uniform, attraction-focused tourism toward place-based, stay-oriented models rooted in local identity and community participation.
Namsa Yedam Village is widely known as Korea’s first village designated as one of the country’s most beautiful traditional villages.
Its historic layout has been carefully preserved, combining traditional hanok architecture with notable cultural assets such as Isajae House, a registered Gyeongsangnam-do cultural property.
The village is also home to centuries-old trees, including a 700-year-old plum tree, a 630-year-old persimmon tree, and a 310-year-old pair of scholar trees, all of which contribute to its distinctive landscape.
A key cultural anchor within the village is Gisan Gugak Hall, a traditional hanok-style cultural space built in 2013 to honor the late Park Heon-bong, a pioneer of Korea’s modern gugak movement and music education.
The venue includes outdoor and bamboo grove performance spaces and hosts events such as the Taejo Royal Edict Ceremony and the Gisan Gugak Festival, alongside hands-on traditional music programs.
With its selection for Local 100, Sancheong County plans to strengthen Namsa Yedam Village as a representative local brand through consulting, branding development, content creation, and promotional support.