At the Launch Ceremony of the Pilot Project Council Held in Sejong,
Leaders of Ten Local Governments Speak Out
"This Is Virtually the Last Policy to Prevent Local Extinction... We Will Prove It Through Results"
On the 29th, at the launch ceremony of the Rural Basic Income Pilot Project Performance Creation Council held in Sejong City, County Governor Kim Dongon is speaking. / Cheongyang County
Kim Dongon, Governor of Cheongyang County in South Chungcheong Province, announced, "I will approach the Rural Basic Income Pilot Project with a determination to succeed at all costs," pledging to mobilize all administrative resources for the success of the project.
Governor Kim defined rural basic income as a policy tool to prevent the disappearance of local communities and stated that he would produce clear results starting from the pilot phase.
On the 29th, Governor Kim made these remarks at the launch ceremony of the Rural Basic Income Pilot Project Performance Creation Council, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and held in Sejong City.
He emphasized, "This project is not merely a welfare policy, but a core strategy that will determine the sustainability of rural areas."
Governor Kim stated, "From the planning stage, rural basic income has been designed as a policy to respond to the crisis of local extinction," adding, "With full-scale implementation scheduled for 2026, the policy's core focus is on revitalizing the local economy and improving residents' quality of life."
In the case of Cheongyang County, approximately 30,000 residents will receive a basic income of 150,000 won per month, totaling 1.8 million won annually, distributed as local gift certificates. Over two years, a total fund of 108 billion won will circulate within the local economy.
Governor Kim predicted, "Since the program is designed to generate consumption within the region, we expect to see an increase in sales, particularly for traditional markets and small businesses."
He explained that regular and stable income payments will expand residents' purchasing power, which in turn will increase the predictability of sales for local businesses, leading to greater management stability for self-employed business owners.
Ten county governors holding local love gift certificate cards (from left: Okcheon, Yeoncheon, Jeongseon, Sunchang, Cheongyang, Minister Song Miryung, Lee Hanju, Chairman of the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences, Yeongyang, Namhae, Jangsu, Gokseong, Sinan)
Governor Kim explained, "When the local economy is revitalized, living conditions improve, which in turn creates a virtuous cycle by enhancing settlement appeal and attracting new residents."
He also stated, "To achieve meaningful results, it is essential to establish sophisticated evaluation indicators from the initial stage, and all ten counties must share joint responsibility and cooperate closely."
He particularly emphasized the need to strengthen a consumption structure centered on traditional markets and small businesses, in order to simultaneously reduce regional disparities and enhance the tangible impact of the project.
Basic Income Selection Ceremony Performance for Rural Areas_Celebrating Cheongyang County Residents' Day
Governor Kim stated, "Rural basic income is not simply a subsidy, but a policy to restore the circulation of the local economy," adding, "We will devote all our efforts to clearly demonstrating its effectiveness through the results of the two-year pilot project and to expanding it into a full-scale initiative."
He further added, "The ten counties will strengthen information sharing and collaboration to develop a shared model of success."
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