Kim Donggon's Leadership Shines as Cheongyang Selected for Government "Rural Basic Income Pilot Project"

Full Mobilization of Task Force and Direct Presentation Despite Short Preparation Period
Cheongyang-Style Model Gains National Attention as the Only Selection from South Chungcheong Province

Kim Donggon, Cheongyang County Governor

Kim Donggon, Governor of Cheongyang County in South Chungcheong Province, has achieved yet another accomplishment. Cheongyang County was the only local government in South Chungcheong Province to be finally selected in the government's "Rural Basic Income Pilot Project" competition, which was conducted among 49 local governments nationwide.

Despite having only about two weeks to prepare, a dedicated task force was formed to respond with full commitment, and Governor Kim personally delivered the presentation, demonstrating the true value of "leadership administration."

On October 20, Cheongyang County announced that it had been finally selected as a target site for the government's "Rural Basic Income Pilot Project." Out of 49 local governments nationwide, only seven were chosen, and Cheongyang was the sole representative from South Chungcheong Province, drawing significant attention.

This pilot project is a key government initiative that aims to promote livelihood stability and stimulate the local economy by providing 150,000 won per month to residents of depopulated areas for two years.

It is evaluated as a national pilot policy designed to counter the risk of local extinction caused by population decline and aging.

On October 16, the government conducted a document review and preliminarily selected 12 counties. On October 17, through a presentation evaluation, the final seven sites were confirmed. During this process, Governor Kim Donggon personally delivered the presentation, logically presenting Cheongyang County's policy vision and implementation plan, earning high marks from the evaluation panel.

Governor Kim took direct command of the entire process, from planning the presentation and organizing materials to refining the policy logic.

He was praised for skillfully integrating Cheongyang’s ongoing "Multi-Care System" and "SMART Countywide Movement" into the rural basic income model, presenting a highly refined vision for a "people-centered local circular economy."

The "Multi-Care System" is a system that aims to promote livelihood stability and restore the community by connecting youth, the elderly, and vulnerable groups through intergenerational mutual care.

The "SMART Countywide Movement" is a participatory digital campaign in which residents independently solve local problems, and it is a flagship innovation policy of Cheongyang’s 8th popularly elected administration.

In particular, just two weeks after the government’s announcement of the competition, the county urgently formed a task force led by the deputy governor and activated a response system, working through weekends, nights, and holidays. Even during the Chuseok holiday, working-level staff continued overnight reviews, demonstrating a consistent "all-out administrative effort."

This strong drive and thorough preparation proved decisive in the final evaluation. The county received high marks in all areas-logical reasoning, field applicability, and execution power-making it a model case among the seven selected counties nationwide.

Governor Kim Donggon stated, "This selection is the result of joint efforts between the administration and county residents, and it is a valuable achievement where the policy foundation prepared during the 8th popularly elected administration has become a reality. We will do our utmost to ensure that the Cheongyang-style basic income model becomes a practical solution to revitalize the region and prevent population decline."

Meanwhile, starting in the first half of next year, the county plans to sequentially enact ordinances, register eligible recipients, and establish the necessary systems. "Basic Income Helpers" will be assigned to each town and township to enhance resident convenience, and prior to project implementation, resident briefings will be held to explain the purpose and operation of the system.