PM Kim calls rural basic income pilot 'positive catalyst,' vows to make it succeed

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok visited Namhae-gun in South Gyeongsang Province on Friday to inspect operations of the government's rural basic income pilot program, the Prime Minister's Office said.

The visit marked his second consecutive day of regional travel, following a stop in Daegu on Thursday, even as President Lee Jae Myung remains abroad on a state visit.

"Basic income has proven its value in numbers over a short period of time," Kim said. "It gives us reason to expect that it can serve as a positive catalyst for a virtuous cycle in local economies, and in practice a significant number of people have moved into these areas."

He added that the program "could ultimately have a range of effects — revitalizing regions and easing the overheating of Seoul," and said he was convinced the initiative must succeed.

Kim directed officials to monitor community responses throughout the pilot period and conduct thorough analysis of newly arriving residents, so the program can build a virtuous cycle linking expanded local consumption, higher incomes for farmers and fishers, and reinvestment within the region. He called for any shortcomings to be addressed promptly.

Kim also expressed hope that success stories from Namhae-gun and similar communities could be compiled and shared with other regions.

He later visited local stores to encourage residents and made personal purchases, including bookmarks. When one resident asked for his autograph, he signed his name alongside the phrase "Basic income forever."

The rural basic income pilot targets residents in farming and fishing communities facing population decline, providing monthly payments of 150,000 won (about $98) to stabilize household incomes and revitalize local communities.

President Lee had praised the program on June 9, writing on X, formerly Twitter, that even a two-year temporary rollout was already showing strong results, and suggesting that making it permanent and raising the payment amount would produce far greater effects.