The Lee Jae-myung administration selected Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi; Jeongseon, Gangwon; Cheongyang, South Chungcheong; Sunchang, North Jeolla; Sinan, South Jeolla; Yeongyang, North Gyeongsang; and Namhae, South Gyeongsang as local governments for the pilot project on a "basic income for rural and fishing communities." By province-level units, one locality per metropolitan/provincial government was chosen, except for North Chungcheong and Jeju.
The pilot project for a basic income for rural and fishing communities will run for two years from next year through 2027, providing residents of the selected areas with 150,000 won per month in local gift certificates. Over the two years, the amount of central government funding for the seven local governments' basic income pilot projects totals 327.867 billion won.
An official at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it is "compensation for the public-interest contributions of local residents who have remained in rural and fishing areas at high risk of extinction despite difficult conditions and have served as guardians of their communities."
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, 49 of the 69 counties (71%) designated as population-declining areas under the Local Decentralization and Balanced Development Act applied for this pilot project.
It was reported that, despite mostly challenging fiscal conditions, they actively participated in sympathy with the intent and necessity of the pilot project and sought pathways for regional revitalization through the basic income for rural and fishing communities.
The ministry said it selected the pilot regions by comprehensively considering factors such as the risk of regional extinction and level of development, the feasibility of the local governments' implementation plans, and plans to create outcomes linked to basic income.
To analyze the policy effectiveness of the pilot project, the ministry plans to establish within the year an evaluation framework, including a system of performance indicators and analytical methods.
Minister Song Mi-ryung of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said, "We will spare no necessary policy support so that the basic income for rural and fishing communities can serve as priming water to revitalize local economies, local communities, and social services, become a driving force for restoring vitality to the areas, and lay the cornerstone for balanced national development going forward."