Rescued cows inspire South Korean village to go vegan to attract younger residents

INJE COUNTY, South Korea – In the small mountain village of Sinwol-ri, home to fewer than a hundred people, hopes are high that five new cattle residents will help rejuvenate the village.

“Flower cows,” as they are affectionately called, were discovered on an unlicensed farm in Incheon in 2021 and were facing certain death if they could not be brought home.

Thanks to the efforts of animal rights group Animal Liberative Wave (ALW), the village elders of Sinwol-ri, located two hours by car from Seoul, agreed to take them in.

While the village’s economy depends on agricultural produce and cattle, the arrival of the Flower Cows has inspired it to become South Korea’s first “vegan village” in an attempt to attract young residents and local tourists to reverse the risk of extinction. caused by rural depopulation.

The vegan village’s idea to rejuvenate the site was discussed by ALW activists, and despite initial concerns, the village’s 75-year-old mayor, Jeong Do-hwa, managed to convince “95 percent” of the village to support the project.

He said the villagers were hesitant about going vegan because some of them are animal farmers and have no intention of giving it up. They were also not familiar with the concept of veganism.

Mr. Jeong assured them that the intention was for the farms to coexist peacefully, and the village planned to become a sort of vegan haven. He also stated that he was not asking all villagers to adopt a strict plant-based diet, but rather that the village would begin to implement and promote a vegan diet among village residents and visitors.

“It may seem impossible for a farming village to have a vegan practice, but we have adopted it because we believe in integration and co-existing harmony. I am proud to say that we are ahead of other villages in our way of thinking.”

ALW founder Lee Ji-young recognizes that the vegan village label may be intimidating for some villagers.

“Perhaps we can describe it as a village of ‘life and nature’, where people are trying to move towards a more sustainable lifestyle, side by side with livestock farming, which remains the source of livelihood for many of the residents here. We’re just envisioning a kind of refuge for those who want to live without animal products,” she said.

At the village experience center, visitors can learn about veganism and animal welfare and try healthy food. bibimbap food – a dish of rice with vegetables, prepared from fresh ingredients collected from the village fields.

The village also hopes to develop vegan recipes using local ingredients.

Other activities include meeting and feeding flower cows, collecting ginseng, and making traditional Korean rice cakes.

The project, launched in 2022, received initial support of 2.6 billion won (S$2.47 million), and was awarded new funding of 600 million won in 2024 under the government’s Sustainable Rural Growth Financing Initiative by using the resources of each area. unique characteristics of its “local branding”.

In 2023, when The village launched its activities to promote veganism and was visited by 1,300 people – 20 percent more than the previous year.

The aim is to attract 2,000 visitors a year by 2025, and the village’s first vegan festival will help increase this figure. And by 2030, it aims to attract 50 more families to settle in the village, thereby doubling its current population of 97 people.