Inclusive Care Recognized by Central Government through Education Innovation Policy Contest
‘Pocheon EduCare Platform’ to be Established... Targeted Opening in August 2025
Pocheon City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Baek Young-hyun) announced on the 5th that it has secured 4 billion KRW in funds after being selected as an excellent area in the investment plan evaluation of the Local Extinction Response Fund hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
The Local Extinction Response Fund is a government fund introduced in 2022 to respond to population decline and the risk of local extinction, and it will be distributed nationwide at a scale of 1 trillion KRW annually until 2031.
Metropolitan local governments receive a fixed amount based on the population decline rate, while basic local governments [107 nationwide (89 population decline areas, 18 interest areas)] receive differentiated allocations by grade through evaluation of each region's investment plan.
Pocheon City was selected as an excellent area among the 18 basic local governments designated as population decline interest areas, securing a total of 4 billion KRW in the Local Extinction Response Fund, including a basic allocation of 1.8 billion KRW and an additional allocation of 2.2 billion KRW.
Based on securing this Local Extinction Response Fund, the city plans to promote major projects aimed at educational innovation, improvement of residential conditions, and expansion of childcare and educational infrastructure as Gyeonggi Province’s first humanities city and a pilot area for education development special zones.
In particular, the city plans to create the "Pocheon EduCare Platform" at Taebong Park in Songuri, Soheul-eup, establishing a complex cultural space that provides education, care, and leisure services. Through this, the city intends to improve citizens’ living and educational environments and encourage stable settlement of young people and family units.
A Pocheon City official said, “Securing the fund allows us to carry out projects stably. Especially, it is very meaningful that we were selected as an excellent area for the first time among local governments in Gyeonggi Province.”
Mayor Baek Young-hyun of Pocheon said, “Being selected as an excellent area for the Local Extinction Response Fund is an important opportunity not only for budget support but also to build customized educational infrastructure suited to Pocheon’s characteristics and to revitalize the economy, education, and culture. We will prevent population outflow and promote population inflow through the Pocheon EduCare Platform.”
Meanwhile, the Pocheon EduCare Platform is under development with a target opening in August 2025 and will be composed of spaces linked to surrounding facilities such as the Pocheon-style care space “Pocheonaebom 365,” Book Station, and Lifelong Education Center.
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