Sunchang County Holds Training for "Basic Income for Rural and Fishing Villages Pilot Project"

For All Employees: Lectures by Mayor Choi Youngil and Professor Jang Jongik

On December 9, Sunchang County in North Jeolla Province conducted a "Basic Income for Rural and Fishing Villages Pilot Project Staff Capacity Building Training" for all employees at the county office's main conference room.

Sunchang County held a "Basic Income for Rural Areas Pilot Project Staff Capacity Building Training" for all employees on the 9th at the county office's main conference room. Provided by Sunchang County

Approximately 200 participants attended the training, including team leaders at level 6 or above and township and village officials under the county. The session focused on enhancing overall understanding of the pilot project and improving interdepartmental collaboration systems.

In the first lecture, County Mayor Choi Youngil personally explained the significance of being selected for the pilot project, future directions, funding plans, and mid- to long-term strategies.

Mayor Choi stated, "The Basic Income for Rural and Fishing Villages is not merely a welfare policy but a structural transformation strategy for rural sustainability and revitalization. When all administrative, welfare, and economic sectors move together based on a clear understanding, this project will become a key driver for realizing the county's future vision."

The second lecture was delivered by Professor Jang Jongik of Hanshin University (Policy Advisory Committee Member for Basic Income for Rural and Fishing Villages, President of the Korean Society for Cooperative Studies), under the theme "Basic Society and Basic Income for Rural and Fishing Villages."

Professor Jang introduced recent central government policy changes, such as the establishment of the Social Solidarity Economy Bureau at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the creation of the Basic Society Policy Division within the National Balanced Development Bureau. He explained, "The focus of national policy is shifting toward the 'basic society,' which includes care, daily life services, social economy, and basic income."

He added, "Sunchang County is the optimal region to realize a model of the basic society for rural Korea, as it is rich in local assets such as fermented sauces, healing, and rural tourism, and is proactively implementing population decline response policies and the basic income pilot project."

He also suggested tasks for ensuring the sustainability of basic income, such as expanding shared resources and establishing a foundation for the local circular economy.

Mayor Choi Youngil emphasized, "For the pilot project to succeed, policy understanding and execution capability must be evenly established across all administrative sectors. Starting with this training, we will build an operational system for basic income in rural and fishing villages that is designed and implemented together by all employees."

Meanwhile, the county plans to continue advancing the pilot project by upgrading the operation manual, refining performance management indicators, strengthening interdepartmental collaboration, and providing education to increase public understanding among county residents, with the goal of becoming a leading national model.

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