Kim Dong-yeon Meets First Beneficiary of Artists' Opportunity Income on the 20th: "Hope It Becomes a Small Reward..."

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon (second from the left) is smiling brightly while talking with the first beneficiaries of the artists' opportunity income on the 20th.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon had a pleasant meeting with the first recipients of the 'Opportunity Income for Artists,' one of his key policies.

On the 20th, Governor Kim held a roundtable meeting at the provincial office, inviting 7 out of the 238 recipients who received the first Opportunity Income for Artists. He said, "We selected artists as the first recipients of opportunity income to support those who create great value in our society but are not properly compensated. Receiving opportunity income for a certain period will allow artists to engage in creative artistic activities, and the social value resulting from these activities will be a wonderful opportunity for our residents to enjoy together."

He added, "I want to make Gyeonggi Province a province of culture. Since culture and arts greatly contribute to enhancing the quality of life for the 14 million residents of Gyeonggi, the role of artists is very significant."

The Opportunity Income for Artists is an annual payment of 1.5 million KRW, distributed twice?in July to August and October to December?to artists residing in Gyeonggi Province who hold a valid certificate of artistic activity and whose personal income is below 120% of the median income.

This year, approximately 9,000 artists from 27 cities and counties in the province, excluding four areas?Suwon, Yongin, Goyang, and Seongnam?are eligible.

Starting at the end of June, Gyeonggi Province began accepting applications sequentially from cities and counties where ordinances have been passed, beginning with 10 areas including Paju. Other cities and counties will also accept applications as related ordinances are enacted, with the first payment scheduled for July to August and the second payment (750,000 KRW per person) for October to December.

On the first day, the 20th, Opportunity Income was paid to a total of 238 people in five areas?Paju, Anyang, Gunpo, Uiwang, and Pocheon?who had completed income verification, with each receiving 750,000 KRW.

The seven artists attending the governor’s roundtable were residents of Paju, Anyang, Gunpo, and Uiwang, born between 1958 and 1994, and active in various fields such as music, theater, and fine arts.

Kwon Kyung-ae, who works in Korean painting and attended the meeting, said, "In my 40 years as an artist, I have never received support like this (Opportunity Income for Artists). I am grateful that this support is being fairly distributed among us artists during these difficult times. More than the money, knowing that someone is thinking of me is the greatest strength."

Kim Bom-hee, a theater troupe director, said, "After graduating from the theater department, getting married, having children, running a troupe, and performing, I feel recognized by the system this time. Regardless of the amount, I want to sincerely express my gratitude."

Governor Kim responded, "I am proud to hear that artists feel their social value-creating activities are being recognized."

Meanwhile, Opportunity Income is a policy that compensates income for a certain period to provide more opportunities to those who create value in our society but do not receive fair compensation. Currently, people with disabilities and artists are the first beneficiaries of Opportunity Income.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.