Jeongseon County Mobilizes All-Out Efforts to Attract Rural Basic Income Pilot Project

Jeongseon County in Gangwon Province has made it a top priority to be selected for the government-led pilot project on basic income for rural and fishing communities, as part of an all-out effort with all residents to overcome the crisis of local extinction caused by population decline and regional economic stagnation.

Jeongseon County Office building.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to select six counties nationwide through an open competition and provide residents with 150,000 won per person per month (1.8 million won annually) in local gift certificates for two years starting in 2026.

The funding will consist of 40% from the national government and 60% from local governments, with Gangwon Province agreeing to cover 12% of the local share. In response, agricultural organizations and residents in Jeongseon County are requesting that Gangwon Province increase its share of the funding.

Since 2020, Jeongseon County has already been pursuing a basic income initiative using dividends from Kangwon Land stock, and has proactively prepared by holding three rounds of consultations with the Ministry of Health and Welfare to establish a new social security system.

Taking this public offering as an opportunity, the county is forming a task force team to develop practical and systematic implementation plans.

The county estimates that the number of beneficiaries for this pilot project will be 32,616 in 2026 and 32,264 in 2027, with a total project cost projected at 58.78 billion won for 2026 and 58.075 billion won for 2027.

Of this, the county's financial burden is expected to be 28.18 billion won in 2026 and 27.876 billion won in 2027, and the county believes that stable funding can be secured by utilizing dividends from Kangwon Land stock.

In particular, given the high proportion of elderly residents in Jeongseon County who depend on agriculture, the county expects that selection for the pilot project will have the greatest tangible impact by providing stable income guarantees, alleviating psychological anxiety, and easing concerns about livelihood security.

Choi Seungjun, Governor of Jeongseon County, stated, "Jeongseon County has taken the lead in stabilizing residents' livelihoods by quickly providing disaster basic income and livelihood recovery support payments to overcome COVID-19. We will do our utmost to ensure that Jeongseon is selected for this rural basic income pilot project and can guarantee a stable life for our residents."

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