Jeongseon County Finalizes 2026 Main Budget at 609 Billion Won... 40 Billion Won Allocated for Rural Basic Income

Jeongseon County to Begin Two-Year Distribution of 150,000 Won per Resident
as "Rural Basic Income"

The Jeongseon County Council in Gangwon Province, chaired by Jeon Younggi, held the third plenary session of its 311th regular meeting on December 12 and approved the county’s proposed 2026 main budget with amendments.

Aerial view of Jeongseon County Office. Provided by Jeongseon County

The finalized 2026 main budget amounts to 609.028748 billion won, marking an 11.3% increase compared to the 2025 main budget. Notably, the budget includes 40 billion won allocated for the Rural Basic Income pilot project, which is set to begin in 2026 and will provide 150,000 won per person annually to county residents for two years.

On December 12, Jeongseon County held a briefing session on the Rural Basic Income project in the county office's small conference room, attended by Jeongseon County Mayor Choi Seungjun, Deputy Mayor Lee Changwoo, and heads of each department. The session provided detailed explanations on eligibility, application requirements, payment methods, and usage, as well as an opportunity to exchange a variety of opinions.

Additionally, to help local residents gain a comprehensive understanding of the Rural Basic Income pilot project, the county visited all nine towns and townships from December 9 to 12. These sessions targeted local leaders, including heads of neighborhood associations and social organizations, to explain the project’s purpose and operational direction and to gather residents’ feedback.

Jeongseon County plans to ensure the thorough implementation of the Rural Basic Income project so that it becomes a new source of vitality for the region. At the same time, the county will continue to steadily promote existing welfare projects such as the Farmer Allowance and support for bathing and grooming services for seniors, as well as key projects in the fields of culture, tourism, and construction.

Meanwhile, to support stable farming activities, the county has been providing the Farmer Allowance. This year, a budget of 2.6432 billion won was allocated, providing 700,000 won per household to 3,776 households in the form of Jeongseon Arirang gift certificates.

Since 2021, Jeongseon County has also been the first in the province to implement the “Silver Etiquette” program, which supports bathing and grooming services for seniors. This year, the county allocated 1.428 billion won to provide 180,000 won per person in service support to 8,154 seniors.

In 2026, the county plans to allocate 2.8035 billion won for the Farmer Allowance and 1.53 billion won for the support of bathing and grooming services for seniors.

Choi Seungjun, Mayor of Jeongseon County, stated, “The 2026 budget has increased by more than 60 billion won compared to this year, and 40 billion won of that is allocated for the Rural Basic Income. There will be absolutely no reduction in other project or existing welfare budgets. As this project has been in preparation for several years, we will do our utmost to ensure the Rural Basic Income is implemented stably.”