Gyeonggi Province to Invest 18.8 Billion Won to Revitalize Return-to-Fishing and Rural Settlement

Gyeonggi Province will provide 18.8 billion won in support to revitalize the return-to-fishing and rural settlement movement.

On June 9, Gyeonggi Province announced that it has established the "2025 Gyeonggi Province Return-to-Fishing and Rural Settlement Support Implementation Plan," which includes support for start-up and home purchase funds for those wishing to return to fishing villages, as well as expanding opportunity income for farmers and fishers.

This implementation plan is divided into four areas and eleven projects: support for stable settlement in fishing villages, strengthening promotion of the return-to-fishing and rural settlement movement, customized support for returnees, and creating fishing villages where people want to live.

First, in response to the risk of rural depopulation, Gyeonggi Province will expand the opportunity income program, which provides 150,000 won per month in local currency to returning farmers and fishers, to include general fishers starting this year.

Gyeonggi Province will invest a total of 18.8 billion won this year to revitalize the return-to-fishing and rural settlement movement. Photo by Gyeonggi Province

Additionally, to support stable settlement in fishing villages, the number of young fishers receiving settlement support?up to 13.2 million won per year for three years?will be increased from six last year to nine this year. For urban residents wishing to become fishers, the province will provide loans for start-up funds of up to 300 million won per person and home purchase funds of up to 75 million won per person, both at a low interest rate of 1.5%.

Furthermore, to address initial housing issues for those settling in fishing villages, Gyeonggi Province will provide "Returnee Fisher Houses" to those wishing to learn fishing, aquaculture, and related fields.

To further enhance customized support, Gyeonggi Province will increase the number of "Gyeonggi Return-to-Fishing Schools" to five sessions and will also provide support for village managers' activity expenses and safety guides for fishing village experience and recreation villages.

Kim Jongbae, Director of the Gyeonggi Province Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Division, stated, "The return-to-fishing and rural settlement implementation plan includes policies to address the issue of fishing village depopulation and to ensure stable settlement for returnees. We hope that Gyeonggi Province's support for revitalizing the return-to-fishing and rural settlement movement will help fishing villages regain their vitality."