Cheongsong-gun selected for government's rural basic income pilot project

Cheongsong-gun in North Gyeongsang Province has been selected as a pilot site for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' rural basic income program, the county announced Friday.

The program aims to counter population decline, aging and the threat of regional extinction by providing basic income payments to rural residents and stimulating local consumption.

With the selection, Cheongsong-gun plans to disburse a total of 65.7 billion won (about $43 million) over 18 months, beginning as early as July and running through December 2027. The funding will be split among the central government (40 percent), North Gyeongsang Province (30 percent) and the county (30 percent).

Residents who have been registered in Cheongsong-gun for at least 30 days and actually live there at least three days a week will be eligible. Each qualifying resident will receive 150,000 won per month, paid as a card-type local currency.

Alongside the payments, Cheongsong-gun plans to run community participation programs, neighborhood revitalization initiatives and projects linking the payments to local businesses. The goal is to build a regional economic model in which local consumption and production reinforce each other.

"Rural basic income goes beyond simple income support — it is a policy to revitalize communities by creating a virtuous cycle of consumption and production within the region," county chief Yun Gyeong-hui said. "We will build a successful basic income model in which residents, small business owners and farming households grow together, and open a sustainable future for Cheongsong."