• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.635-652
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• 2010

In recent time, rural-studying programs have emerged as an alternative to promoting exchange between urban and rural areas. The purpose of this research will be to take a look at such exchange activities through the study of cases involving rural areas using its human and material resources. The research will also consider the implications resulting from the possibility of its application in Korea. According to a Japan's rural-studying program, there was a whole family participation and there was cooperation between the school, village and the local government. There are some domestic places that applied this program, but only a few are successfully being implemented. To increase the possibility of successful application, building network systems between rural-studying schools will be vital. So will be the building of critical infrastructure to induce the return to farming and the establishment of assistance institutions. Also, visible assistance towards farms in rural area and conversion of recognition upon exchange activities between urban and rural will be necessary. Legislation of rural-studying program, establishment of local government assistance ordinance and continual education to local inhabitants will be central to the role of central and local government.