The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on the 12th it will raise the monthly settlement support payment for residents of the five West Sea islands to as much as 200,000 won. That is up 20,000 won from the previous 180,000 won per month and applies to long-term residents who have lived on the five West Sea islands for 10 years or more. Those who have lived there for less than 10 years will receive 120,000 won per month, the same as last year.
The five West Sea islands refer to five islands in Ongjin County, Incheon: Baengnyeong, Daecheong, Socheong, Yeonpyeong and So-yeonpyeong. Adjacent to North Korea, they serve as a key strategic strongpoint for national security and territorial defense. However, compared with the mainland, the settlement environment is relatively poor due to security issues, inconvenient transportation, and a lack of living facilities such as medical care, education, culture and welfare.
In response, the government has been pursuing comprehensive and systematic support for stabilizing the lives of residents of the five West Sea islands by establishing the "Five West Sea Islands Comprehensive Development Plan" since 2011. The settlement support payment is also one of the policies included in this plan. This increase follows the completion of administrative procedures on the 6th, including revising the guidelines for settlement support payments for the five West Sea islands.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) said the increase will benefit about 3,500 residents of the five West Sea islands. Forty-four percent of the 8,000 residents of the five West Sea islands will receive the higher amount.
Vice Minister Kim Min-jae of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) said, "The five West Sea islands, which have great geopolitical importance, are areas that need special attention from the government," and added, "We will continue to strengthen support so residents can minimize inconvenience and live more stably."