Sinan-gun, a 'Miracle' Happens at Jarabun School Facing Closure Crisis

Increase of 15 School-Age Children... Extension of School Closure Deadline

Double Allowance for Children Under Age 7 Using Haetbit Pension

Jellanam-do Sinan-gun (Governor Park Woo-ryang) experienced a miraculous extension of the closure deadline for Jarabun School, located on a small island with a population of about 290.

According to the county on the 13th, the number of school-age children registered as residents increased by 15 due to the benefits of the Sunlight Pension and Wind Pension under the renewable energy development profit-sharing system.

Aerial view of Anjwa Elementary School Jara Branch located in Jarado, Anjwa-myeon, Sinan-gun [Photo by Sinan-gun]

Jarabun School was decided to be temporarily closed in 2020 when the number of students was three, and it was a foregone conclusion that it would be closed this year, three years after the temporary closure.

Residents of Jarado began receiving the first Sunlight Pension dividend in April 2021 and have received it eight times so far, with up to 510,000 KRW per person paid each quarter, leading to a steady increase in population.

In particular, Sinan-gun is implementing a population inflow policy using the Sunlight Pension, providing double weighting of the Sunlight Pension for infants under seven years old and planning to provide Sunlight Child Allowances for children under 18.

A county official stated, “Since April 2021, the first Sunlight Pension has been paid to four islands: Anjwa, Jido, Saokdo, and Jarado. This year, Imjado will be added, and by next year, the Sunlight Pension will be paid to Bigeum, Jeungdo, and Sinui-do,” adding, “This benefits 45% of the total 40,000 residents.”