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Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's key wire service, began an annual exposition Friday aimed at helping urban dwellers resettle in rural regions and providing export opportunities for local farms.

The three-day Y-Farm Expo 2024, co-hosted by the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, will run at the Suwon Convention Center in Suwon, 30 kilometers south of Seoul, organizers said.

The annual event is organized to offer information to retirees looking to resettle on farms, as well as to young people searching for employment opportunities in rural areas.

The promotional poster for the Y-Farm Expo 2024, hosted by Yonhap News Agency and the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, is seen in this undated file photo. Yonhap

For the exposition, 73 regional governments and 30 related institutions and organizations set up some 161 booths to provide up-to-date information on rural resettlement, and how smart technology-led farming can bolster work efficiency and improve the quality of produce.

"This year's event will offer a wide array of programs that induce visitors' participation at a spacious venue," said Seong Ghi-hong, CEO and president of Yonhap News Agency.

"Urban dwellers wishing to move to rural regions can receive necessary information. Regional governments and companies can also promote their policies and smart farming technologies," he added.

The World Federation of Overseas Korean Traders Associations plans to provide consulting programs to local farmers seeking export opportunities.

"This year's event will offer a wide array of programs that induce visitors' participation at a spacious venue," said Seong Ghi-hong, CEO and president of Yonhap News Agency.

"Urban dwellers wishing to move to rural regions can receive necessary information. Regional governments and companies can also promote their policies and smart farming technologies," he added.

In a congratulatory message, Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung said the government plans to foster the agricultural sector as the new growth engine for Asia's fourth-largest economy.

"We will implement a digital transformation across all cycles of the agricultural industry, from production and processing to retail, by harnessing cutting-edge technologies, including ICT and AI," Song said.

"To encourage young people to venture into the agricultural industry, we will bolster customized support, including education, farmland, funding and housing," she added. (Yonhap)