Pumped-Storage Power Project and Basic Income Policies Bear Fruit
Administrative Competitiveness Highlighted Through Resident-Centered Governance
Yeongyang-gun has proven its administrative competitiveness externally, being recognized for its resident-centered innovation policies and achievements in responding to regional extinction. Yeongyang-gun announced that it was honored with the Administrative Innovation City award at the “2026 K-Brand Awards” held on the 25th.
This award reflects high recognition for the fact that, despite the structural crises facing local governments such as population decline and worsening fiscal conditions, the county has created tangible change through proactive policies and everyday life-centered administration.
To build a foundation for future growth, the county successfully attracted a pumped-storage power plant project with a total project cost of 2.6 trillion won, thereby creating a turning point for revitalizing the local economy. Through this, it secured 93.6 billion won in support funds, is expected to increase local tax revenues by about 1.4 billion won per year, and to create around 150 permanent jobs, earning the assessment that it has secured a stable medium- to long-term growth engine.
Meaningful achievements have also continued in terms of securing financial resources. Through 62 competitive public projects, Yeongyang-gun secured about 174 billion won in national and provincial funds, thereby supplementing its fiscal limitations. In addition, it received the highest rating nationwide in the evaluation of the Local Extinction Response Fund and secured 12 billion won in national funding, proving its execution capacity in improving living conditions and implementing population response policies.
Resident-centered welfare policies were also highly rated. Yeongyang-gun was selected as the only rural basic income pilot area in North Gyeongsang Province and is providing a monthly payment of 200,000 won. It is also implementing a free rural bus policy for all residents, thereby expanding everyday life-centered welfare administration by easing transportation cost burdens and guaranteeing mobility rights.
An official from Yeongyang-gun said, “This award is the result of our policy achievements, jointly created by residents and the administration, being recognized externally,” and added, “We will continue to create changes that residents can feel through innovative administration that turns the region’s crisis into an opportunity.”
Amid the deepening crisis of local extinction, Yeongyang-gun’s award is evaluated as more than a simple institutional commendation; it is seen as a case that simultaneously proves both policy execution capacity and administrative direction. The organic combination of attracting large-scale power generation infrastructure, securing financial resources, and expanding basic income and transportation welfare has brought about “changes in everyday life,” which is of great significance. In particular, the fact that even small local governments with weak fiscal and population bases can secure competitiveness through strategic policy design and resident-centered administration is expected to serve as an important reference model for future policies responding to local extinction.
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