[Edaily Reporter Kim Una ] Following its opening on the 23rd, the Okcheon “MICE Center” (pictured) in North Chungcheong Province will begin full-scale operations next month (August). It is the smallest “mini” center among the 25 exhibition and convention centers nationwide and the first dedicated MICE facility established in one of the country’s 82 county-level local governments.
Okcheon County, an area experiencing population decline, began construction of the MICE Center in 2023. A total of 5.9 billion won was invested in the project, including 5.6 billion won from the government’s Population Decline Response Fund and 300 million won from the county budget.
Originally planned to be built on county-owned land near the Traditional Culture Experience Center in Sanggye-ri, Okcheon-eup, the center’s location was changed to Jiyong Literature Park as the plans were finalized. The scale of the center also expanded from a two-story building with a total floor area of 913 square meters to a three-story building with a total floor area of 1,025 square meters. Ji-yong Literature Park, where the center is located, is the site of the old downtown area where the Okcheon County government office stood during the Joseon Dynasty and is home to major local tourist attractions such as the birthplace of poet Jeong Ji-yong, Okcheon Hyanggyo Confucian School, and Okju Samaso.
Designed to accommodate small- and medium-sized “Small MICE” events, the center’s interior is divided into small exhibition rooms (272 square meters) and exhibition halls (372 square meters) on the first and second floors, and a conference room (380 square meters) on the third floor. The exterior features a parking lot capable of accommodating 29 vehicles, including two large buses.

Okcheon County plans to actively attract not only small- and medium-sized corporate events and conventions but also exhibitions and cultural events that leverage the region’s historical, cultural, and tourism resources. The county has also enacted an ordinance to operate incentive programs, such as rental fee subsidies, to attract events and groups.
A county official stated, “We have been preparing for the center’s operation, including joining the Chungbuk MICE Alliance in 2024.” The official added, “We plan to focus on attracting small- and medium-sized events and groups suited to local conditions by leveraging a cooperative network within the province, including neighboring cities and counties.”