Overcoming Population Decline Crisis and Enhancing Population Vitality... Designing the Future
‘Citizen Participation Population Policy Ideas’ Contest Open Until April 3
Yeongju City in Gyeongbuk is focusing on discovering projects for the ‘2024 Local Extinction Response Fund Investment Plan’ to respond to the region’s population decline and strengthen local living conditions.
In October 2021, the government designated and announced 89 regions nationwide as population decline areas, and Yeongju City was included among them.
Since last year, the government has been distributing 1 trillion KRW annually for 10 years to population decline areas through the Local Extinction Response Fund. With the enforcement of the ‘Special Act on Support for Population Decline Areas’ on January 1 of this year, 36 special support measures related to population decline areas were newly established.
Because the distribution amount of the Local Extinction Response Fund varies depending on the evaluation of the investment plan, the city plans to set the direction of the investment plan through analysis of local conditions and strategically discover detailed projects to receive the maximum amount possible.
The projects eligible for the Local Extinction Response Fund include hardware (infrastructure) development and software (program) operation projects necessary to expand living infrastructure such as housing, transportation, welfare and medical care, culture and tourism, economy, and education.
The city is focusing on discovering projects related to overcoming population decline, establishing residential infrastructure, attracting young population, and increasing the living population.
In March, the city will hold meetings of the Local Extinction Response Fund Operation Public-Private Council and the Yeongju City Population Policy Committee to explore ways to establish the 2024 Local Extinction Response Fund investment plan. Opinions to overcome the region’s crisis will be collected, and at the same time, collaboration with various private organizations and local universities will be pursued to reflect innovative ideas in the Local Extinction Response Fund investment projects.
Also, through the ‘Citizen Participation Population Policy Idea Contest’ accepting submissions until April 3, plans for ‘a better Yeongju created by the power of citizens’ will be linked to the discovery of Local Extinction Response Fund investment projects. Prize money will be awarded as follows: 700,000 KRW for one grand prize winner, 500,000 KRW for one excellence award winner, and 200,000 KRW each for two encouragement award winners.
Mayor Namseo Park said, “We will discover specialized investment project items unique to Yeongju that suit local conditions and can respond to local extinction in the long term by utilizing the population policy idea contest and local expert groups,” adding, “We will do our best in project discovery to serve as a stepping stone for a better future of Yeongju.”
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