The Place That Will Hand Out 800,000 Won Per Person... Basic Income Paid Regardless of Income or Assets

Jeonbuk's Muju-gun Launches "Basic Income Pilot Project"
800,000 Won Per Person Annually...Funded by Local Resources

Hyangrosan Observation Deck, Muju-gun, Jeonbuk. Muju-gun Tourism Association website

Muju-gun in Jeonbuk will provide 800,000 won per resident per year as part of a basic income pilot project.

On February 20, Muju-gun announced that it will use its own financial resources to provide 800,000 won per year to each resident. Eligible recipients are residents who were registered as living in Muju as of February 2. As long as this condition is met, anyone can receive 800,000 won regardless of income or assets. The support will be provided in the form of Muju Love Gift Certificates, the local currency.

Existing residents who have been living in Muju-gun since before February 2 can apply at the administrative welfare center of their eup or myeon of residence by March 6. Payments will be made in March as soon as procedures such as verification of actual residence are completed. Residents who moved into Muju after February 3 can apply 30 days after filing their move-in report, and their eligibility for basic income will be determined after a 90-day verification period to confirm their actual residence.

Oh Hae-dong, Director of Planning and Coordination at Muju-gun Office, said, "This is the first time a basic income is being paid by a county-level local government, and it represents Muju-gun's challenge to respond to regional extinction," adding, "By providing Muju Love Gift Certificates, which can only be used within the county, we expect this to offer practical help to the lives of residents and also serve as a catalyst to reinvigorate the local economy."

Meanwhile, to implement the "Muju-style Basic Income Payment Project," Muju-gun has, over the past four months, prepared detailed plans on eligibility, payment methods, and payment amounts by following the guidelines of the rural basic income pilot project implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, conducting resident surveys, holding consultations with the Muju-gun Basic Income Committee and the Muju-gun Council, and consulting with the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the introduction of a new social security program.