Gyeonggi-do to Ease Eligibility and Criteria for Athlete Opportunity Income Starting in July

Starting in July, Gyeonggi-do will expand the eligibility and scope of its flagship sports policy, the 'Athlete Opportunity Income.'

The Athlete Opportunity Income is one of Governor Kim Dongyeon's key initiatives under the 'Opportunity Income' program, aiming to provide fair compensation for the social value created by athletes. It was introduced last year as the first program of its kind in the country.

From this year, Gyeonggi-do has added sports administrators with athletic backgrounds who work in sports associations, sports organizations, and registered or designated sports clubs, as well as coaches who lead local teams and participate in sports competitions within the province, to the list of eligible recipients. Previously, only current athletes, coaches, referees, and athlete managers who were registered residents of the province, aged 19 or older, and whose income was at or below 120% of the median income (2,870,416 KRW per month), were eligible for the Athlete Opportunity Income.

The participation requirements for competitions have also been eased. For professional athletes, eligibility now requires participation in at least one provincial-level or higher competition. For lifestyle sports coaches, winning a prize in a provincial-level competition is sufficient. For referees, participating in at least one provincial-level or higher competition per year now meets the criteria.

Gyeonggi-do's 'Athlete Opportunity Income' Poster

In particular, for coaches, the scope of activities has been clearly defined to include university lecturers and club coaches. Sports instructors who volunteer or provide talent donations for sports lessons at clubs or social groups will also be eligible for the Opportunity Income if they can prove at least 10 hours of activity.

Previously, Gyeonggi-do actively incorporated feedback from experts, athletes, and city and county officials based on last year's pilot program results. The province completed revisions to related ordinances in April this year and concluded negotiations on changes to the social security system with the Ministry of Health and Welfare on June 4.

With the relaxed criteria, Gyeonggi-do will begin accepting applications from July 1, distributing a total of 1.5 million KRW in two installments by the end of the year to those selected.

According to the application schedule by city and county, seven areas?Siheung, Gimpo, Gwangmyeong, Anseong, Guri, Gwacheon, and Yeoncheon?will begin accepting applications in July. In August and September, Anyang, Hanam, Icheon, Pocheon, Dongducheon, Suwon, Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek, Paju, Gwangju, Yangju, and Yangpyeong will follow. In October, Uijeongbu, Gunpo, Osan, Uiwang, and Gapyeong will open applications.

Choi Heungrak, Director of Sports Promotion at Gyeonggi-do, stated, "We have relaxed the criteria so that more sports professionals can contribute to community sports activities and return social value. We believe these changes will greatly contribute to the development of lifestyle sports through the activation of sports instruction by professional athletes, as well as to the improvement of skills and motivation among lifestyle sports participants."