Interior ministry opens third round of solar village applications

The Interior Ministry said it will launch a third round of applications for its solar income village project, extending the deadline to Oct. 30. Final selections are scheduled for announcement in late December.

The additional recruitment drive was launched to reflect strong nationwide interest and continuous application demand from villages, following a second round that saw applications quadruple compared to the first. The initial drive attracted 129 applicants, resulting in 87 selected villages, while the second round drew 608 applications.

To accommodate villages that missed earlier deadlines or were advised to reapply, the ministry is expanding opportunities to help meet its annual target of establishing 700 solar income villages. Results for the second round are expected following an evaluation committee review at the end of this month.

Nam Ho-seong, head of the Solar Income Village Promotion Unit, said, "Local resident interest is expanding rapidly, and we expect many more villages to wish to participate in this third round. We will strive to ensure as many interested villages as possible can apply and be selected by cooperating with relevant ministries and local governments."