Councilor Lee Honghee of Geochang County Council Proposes Ordinance to Support Rural Basic Income Movement Headquarters

Laying the Foundation for Selection as a Pilot Site for Rural Basic Income

At the 288th extraordinary session of the Geochang County Council in South Gyeongsang Province, a proposed ordinance to support the Geochang County Rural Basic Income Movement Headquarters, sponsored by Councilor Lee Honghee, was unanimously approved by the council members, drawing significant attention from local residents.

This ordinance aims to support the formation of the Geochang County Basic Income Movement Headquarters, which conducts activities to establish the validity of rural basic income and build public consensus among residents, in line with efforts to enact the Basic Law on Rural Basic Income.

If the Basic Law on Rural Basic Income is enacted, the county will be given priority selection as a pilot project site and will be able to lay the groundwork to serve as a leading local government in rural basic income initiatives. This is the second ordinance of its kind nationwide and the first to be established within South Gyeongsang Province.

Lee Honghee, member of the Geochang County Council.

Lee Honghee, who sponsored the ordinance, stated, "As interest in rural basic income is growing, I believed it was necessary to first promote the Basic Law on Rural Basic Income to residents and build consensus on its validity. That is why I initiated the ordinance to support the Rural Basic Income Movement Headquarters." He added, "Based on this ordinance, if the government enacts the relevant law and launches the pilot project, I will work in consultation with related organizations to ensure Geochang County is selected as a priority project site."

Meanwhile, according to the government's proposed budget for 2026, the plan is to provide 150,000 won per month to 240,000 people in six pilot project sites, with the funding burden shared at 40% by the central government and 60% by metropolitan and local governments.

Regarding this, Lee Honghee commented, "Together with Chairman Lee Jaewoon and my fellow council members, I plan to prepare a proposal to the central government for the next extraordinary session, calling for an expansion of pilot project sites, an increase in the central government's funding share (from 40% to 70%), and a higher per-person payment amount."