At the seawall nearby the fifth zone of agricultural land in Saemangeum around Dongjin River , a major renovation project is under way to transform a vast 1 , 513 hectare land into a massive farmland . After five years from now , this spot will turn into an export base for green organic farming targeting China . The fifth zone of agricultural land is the first to open among the planned seven agricultural lands in Saemangeum . The fifth zone , if developed , could be the hub for agricultural exports with its advantageous geographical conditions . From Gunsan airport just right ahead , it can reach large cities in both Korea and China such as Seoul , Beijing and Shanghai within just two - hour distances from all directions via flight . With safe Korean agricultural produce being all the rage among Chinese , Saemangeum agricultural complex is expected to be Korea ’ s new growth engine . Kim Byung - ryul , a senior researcher at Korea Rural Economic Institute , noted , “ Chinese don ’ t buy China - grown rice even though it is organically grown , but they buy the one imported from Korea . ” He explained , “ Korean - made milk and dairy products are enjoying explosive popularity . ” Additionally , Saemangeum can serve as a ‘ fertile land ’ that creates quality jobs for youth . [ ⓒ Maeil Business Newspaper & mk . co . kr , All rights reserved ]