232 People Move In Within Three Days of Pilot Area Announcement
Number of New Residents Surges Tenfold
There has been a surge in applications for residency in Okcheon County, North Chungcheong Province, ahead of the upcoming distribution of a 150,000 won monthly rural basic income.
According to Yonhap News Agency on December 8, a total of 232 people moved into Okcheon County over the three days following its designation as a pilot area for the rural basic income program on December 3. This figure is nearly ten times higher than the average daily number of new residents (8.4 people) in December of last year.
The rural basic income program is a government initiative aimed at addressing the risk of rural depopulation and aging, as well as alleviating income instability in rural areas.
On December 3, the day Okcheon County was announced as a pilot area, 79 people moved in; 85 people registered their residency the following day, and 68 more on December 5.
An official from Okcheon County stated, "The number of people moving into the area began to increase after the county passed the first stage of selection as a pilot area last month, and it has surged since the final announcement. We are also receiving a steady stream of inquiries about the moving-in process and the required documents."
However, Okcheon County is considering separate measures regarding 'false residency,' where individuals change their registered address without actually moving. The official added, "We plan to strengthen on-site inspections by assigning dedicated public officials to each township and to establish a Basic Income Committee consisting of village heads and others to continuously verify whether people have actually relocated. We are also sharing cases and information with other regions where the pilot project is underway."
The population of Okcheon County has continued to decline since it fell below the psychological threshold of 50,000 in January 2022. As of November 30, the population stood at 48,409.
Meanwhile, across the country, there are ten areas eligible for the rural basic income program, including Okcheon, Yeoncheon in Gyeonggi Province, Jeongseon in Gangwon Province, Cheongyang in South Chungcheong Province, Sunchang and Jangsu in North Jeolla Province, Shinan and Gokseong in South Jeolla Province, Yeongyang in North Gyeongsang Province, and Namhae in South Gyeongsang Province. The pilot project will be conducted over two years, from 2026 to 2027, and during this period, all residents in these areas will receive a 150,000 won local gift certificate each month. For a four-person household, this amounts to a maximum of 14.4 million won over two years.
Initially, Okcheon County was not selected as a pilot area, but after the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs increased the related budget for next year, Okcheon, Jangsu, and Gokseong were added to the list on December 2.
On December 3, Okcheon County Governor Hwang Kyucheol stated, "This selection is a recognition by the central government of the excellence of our policies aimed at restoring livelihoods and revitalizing the local economy. We will do our utmost to make this pilot project the starting point for a sustainable future in rural areas and to bring about changes that residents can truly feel."
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