Young farmer turns job loss into smart farming success

Woo Min-jae turned to farming after losing his factory job when the plant relocated to China, and now runs a 1,900-square-meter smart greenhouse in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. With training and support from NongHyup, he developed a cherry tomato business that generated 150 million won in revenue last year. He expanded sales by switching to a sweeter variety, supplying local NongHyup stores and selling online. Woo now advises aspiring farmers and plans to build his future in the countryside.

Woo worked for a subcontractor of a major company in the Seoul metropolitan area from 2017 until late 2019.

He borrowed approximately 450 million won through a policy financing program to buy land, with a five-year grace period and a 20-year repayment period.

In 2024, his first year of operation, Woo received 30 million won in proceeds after sending his entire harvest to a wholesale auction market.

After changing tomato varieties and expanding sales channels, his sales rose by more than 30 percent compared with his first year; Cheonan Food certification was followed by a purchase-rate increase of more than 20 percent.

Online sales of Woo’s cherry tomatoes reached 20 million won after he took part in a crowdfunding campaign organized by Naver and NongHyup and received academy consulting.

Published Oct 29, 2026 12:00 am KST

Woo Min-jae, 32, who operates a smart farm in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, inspects cherry tomatoes. Korea Times photo by Kang Jin-gu

On Oct. 7, Wooriga Green Farm, a cherry tomato smart farm in Seobuk District in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, was filled with rows of tomato vines stretching nearly to the greenhouse ceiling. Ripe red tomatoes hung in clusters along both sides of the aisles. They were the last fruits of the summer growing season.

The farm’s owner, Woo Min-jae, 32, is considered one of the region’s leading young farmers. He worked for a subcontractor of a major company in the Seoul metropolitan area from 2017 until late 2019, but lost his job when the factory relocated to China. Six years after leaving his job, Woo has transformed himself into a full-fledged farmer, operating a greenhouse operation covering 1,900 square meters. His farm generated 150 million won ($110,000) in revenue last year.

Young people like Woo are becoming increasingly scarce in rural areas. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, the rural farming population plunged from a little over 3 million in 2010 to just over 2 million in 2024. Over the same period, the proportion of farmers aged 65 and older surged from 31.8 percent to 55.8 percent. The number of designated population decline areas also rose from 89 in 2021 to 92 this year, leaving rural communities increasingly vulnerable to aging and population loss.

The National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, better known as NongHyup, is stepping up efforts to serve as a bulwark against rural aging and the potential disappearance of rural communities. It provides aspiring young farmers with assistance when they encounter challenges, offering agricultural training as well as support with settling down and finding markets for their produce.

Woo realized his dream of becoming a young farmer with NongHyup’s help. At his father’s suggestion that he learn about farming through the organization, he enrolled in the Young Farmers Academy in 2020. He first planted tomatoes for himself during the program and began to see the potential of smart farming.

Woo called the academy’s practical training the most helpful part of the program. In addition to learning how to farm, he learned how to apply for government support programs and improve his chances of being selected.

In 2023, he drew on notes he had taken during the course to prepare his personal statement and farm operation plan for Cheonan’s smart farm pilot project and was ultimately selected for the program.

“NongHyup’s training was a great help when applying for various support programs offered by local governments and other institutions,” Woo said.

NongHyup also helped him establish his farm. Through a policy financing program for young people starting agricultural businesses, he borrowed approximately 450 million won to purchase land. The loan came with a five-year grace period followed by a 20-year repayment period. He built the greenhouse through Cheonan’s pilot project.

Building a farm was only the beginning. Selling the crops he had painstakingly grown proved to be another challenge.

In 2024, his first year of operation, Woo sent his entire harvest to an agricultural wholesale auction market. After the sales, he had only 30 million won in proceeds. Once he deducted his various costs, virtually nothing was left, he said.

Woo decided to compete by offering a premium product. He switched to a sweeter tomato variety and began supplying his produce to NongHyup stores specializing in locally grown food. His tomatoes also received Good Agricultural Practices certification, which recognizes compliance with standards for safe and responsible farming.

As a result, his sales rose by more than 30 percent compared with his first year. After obtaining Cheonan Food certification, a local designation for regional produce, his purchase rate increased by more than 20 percent. He now receives prices higher than the top auction price even when market conditions are at their worst.

“By improving the variety and expanding offline sales channels, I can maintain higher prices even after fees, so I’m doing better than when I had an office job,” Woo said with a smile.

NongHyup also helped him break into online sales. Through the Young Farmers Academy, he took part in a crowdfunding campaign jointly organized by Naver and NongHyup. He later received consulting support from the academy that enabled him to lower his online selling prices.

Woo’s cherry tomatoes, combining an improved variety with competitive prices, quickly gained popularity among homemakers through word-of-mouth. Online sales alone reached 20 million won, far exceeding his initial expectations. He used to consider himself fortunate if he managed to sell even 1 million won worth of produce.

A cherry tomato smart farm in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. Courtesy of Woo Min-jae

Settling in rural Korea as young farmer

Woo is now helping others who aspire to become young farmers. This year, his farm was selected as a model farm run by an academy graduate by NongHyup’s Agricultural Startup Support Center. He now advises aspiring farmers who visit his greenhouse, helping them with farm design, cost estimates and other aspects of setting up their operations.

Woo emphasizes that anyone hoping to move to the countryside and take up farming should spend at least a year studying first. He himself spent four to five years learning before starting his farm.

“Even though I’ve studied consistently, I still feel there is a lot I don’t know,” he said, advising aspiring farmers to explore multiple sales channels rather than relying on just one.

He also urged them not to try to find their own way entirely on their own. Many organizations are ready to help — if they know where to look.

“If you’re just starting out in farming, you should build a close relationship with NongHyup,” Woo said. “They look into things beyond my knowledge as if they were their own concerns.”

Woo intends to remain rooted in the countryside.

“Through smart farming, I’m building a stable financial foundation and developing my expertise. The rural environment, close to nature, is also attractive for raising children and starting a family,” he said. “Even after starting a family, I will continue to live in the countryside, firmly establish myself in the region and build a lasting future here as a young farmer.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

禹敏宰在工厂搬迁到中国后失去了工作，转行务农。如今，他在忠清南道天安市经营着一座1900平方米的智能温室。在农协集团的培训和支持下，他发展了樱桃番茄生意，去年营业额达到1.5亿韩元。之后，他改种了更甜的品种，并通过向当地农协门店供货和线上销售扩大了销售规模。现在，禹敏宰为有志成为农民的人士提供咨询，并计划在农村发展自己的未来。

Woo 从 2017 年到 2019 年底在首尔都市圈一家大公司的分包商工作。

他通过一项政策融资计划借款约 4.5 亿韩元购买土地，宽限期为 5 年，还款期为 20 年。

2024 年，也就是他开始经营的第一年，Woo 将所有收成送到批发拍卖市场后，获得了 3000 万韩元的收益。

通过改变番茄品种和扩大销售渠道，他的销售额比第一年增长了 30% 以上；获得天安食品认证后，采购率增长了 20% 以上。

Woo 参加了 Naver 和农协组织的众筹活动并接受了学院的咨询后，他的樱桃番茄在线销售额达到了 2000 万韩元。

发布于2026年10月29日凌晨12:00（韩国标准时间）

32岁的禹敏宰（音译）在忠清南道天安市经营一家智慧农场，他正在检查樱桃番茄。（韩国时报 姜镇九 摄）

10月7日，位于忠清南道天安市瑞北区的智慧番茄农场——伍里加绿色农场，温室里番茄藤蔓成排，几乎顶到了屋顶。成熟的红番茄成串地挂在过道两侧，这是夏季生长季的最后成果。

农场主禹敏宰（音译）今年32岁，被认为是该地区最杰出的年轻农民之一。2017年至2019年底，他曾在首尔一家大型公司的分包商工作，但工厂迁往中国后，他失去了工作。离职六年之后，禹敏宰转型成为一名全职农民，经营着一个占地1900平方米的温室。他的农场去年创造了1.5亿韩元（约合11万美元）的收入。

像伍先生这样的年轻人，在农村地区越来越少见。据统计部数据显示，农村农业人口从2010年的300多万锐减至2024年的200多万。同期，65岁及以上农民的比例从31.8%飙升至55.8%。此外，人口衰退区的数量也从2021年的89个增加到今年的92个，使得农村社区更容易受到人口老龄化和流失的影响。

全国农业合作社联合会（简称“农协”）正加大力度应对农村老龄化和农村社区可能消失的问题。该联合会为有志成为农民的年轻人提供帮助，包括农业培训、安家落户以及寻找农产品销售市场等方面的支持。

在农协的帮助下，伍实现了成为一名青年农民的梦想。他听从父亲的建议，通过该组织学习农业知识，于2020年报名参加了青年农民学院。在课程期间，他第一次为自己种植番茄，并开始意识到智慧农业的潜力。

伍先生认为，该学院的实践培训是整个项目中最为有益的部分。除了学习耕作方法外，他还学会了如何申请政府补助项目，以及如何提高入选几率。

2023年，他利用在课程中记下的笔记，为天安市的智慧农场试点项目准备了个人陈述和农场经营计划，最终被选中参加该项目。

Woo表示：“农协的培训对我们申请地方政府和其他机构提供的各种支持计划非常有帮助。”

农协还帮助他创办了农场。通过一项面向青年农业创业者的政策性融资项目，他贷款约4.5亿韩元购买土地。贷款设有五年宽限期，之后需偿还20年。他还通过天安市的试点项目建造了温室。

建立农场只是个开始。如何出售他辛辛苦苦种植的作物，又是另一个挑战。

2024年，也就是他创业的第一年，伍先生把所有收成都送到了农产品批发拍卖市场。他说，卖掉之后，他只拿到了3000万韩元。扣除各种成本后，几乎什么都没剩下。

伍先生决定通过提供高端产品来参与竞争。他改种了一种更甜的番茄品种，并开始向专门销售本地农产品的农协超市供货。他的番茄还获得了良好农业规范认证，该认证认可其符合安全负责的农业标准。

因此，他的销售额比第一年增长了30%以上。获得天安食品认证（当地农产品认证）后，他的采购量增加了20%以上。即使在市场行情最差的时候，他现在也能卖到比拍卖最高价更高的价格。

“通过增加产品种类和拓展线下销售渠道，即使扣除费用后，我也可以维持较高的价格，所以我现在的状况比以前在办公室工作时要好得多，”伍笑着说。

农协还帮助他进军线上销售领域。通过青年农民学院，他参与了由Naver和农协联合举办的众筹活动。之后，他还从该学院获得了咨询支持，从而降低了线上销售价格。

伍先生的樱桃番茄品种改良，价格实惠，凭借口碑迅速在家庭主妇中走红。仅线上销售额就达到了2000万韩元，远远超出他最初的预期。过去，如果能卖出价值100万韩元的农产品，他就觉得很幸运了。

位于忠清南道天安市的樱桃番茄智能农场。图片由禹敏宰提供。

年轻时在韩国农村定居务农

伍先生现在正帮助其他有志成为年轻农民的人。今年，他的农场被农协农业创业支持中心评选为农业学院毕业生经营的示范农场。他现在为前来参观他温室的准农民提供咨询，帮助他们进行农场设计、成本估算以及其他运营方面的准备工作。

伍先生强调，任何想搬到农村务农的人都应该至少先花一年时间学习。他本人在开始经营农场之前也花了四到五年时间学习。

“尽管我一直坚持学习，但我仍然觉得有很多东西我不知道，”他说，并建议有志成为农民的人探索多种销售渠道，而不是只依赖一种渠道。

他还敦促他们不要完全依靠自己寻找出路。许多组织都愿意提供帮助——只要他们知道该去哪里寻找。

“如果你刚开始从事农业，就应该和农协建立密切的关系，”伍先生说。“他们会像关心自己的事情一样，去调查那些超出我知识范围的事情。”

伍氏打算继续留在乡村生活。

“通过智慧农业，我正在建立稳定的经济基础，并提升我的专业技能。乡村环境亲近自然，也非常适合养育子女和组建家庭，”他说道。“即使组建家庭后，我也会继续生活在农村，扎根于此，作为一名年轻的农民，在这里创造一个长久的未来。”

本文来自《韩国日报》（《韩国时报》的姊妹报），由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。