About 1,000 new residents have registered in Hwacheon-gun since the county was designated a pilot site for a rural basic income program.
According to Hwacheon-gun, 878 people completed move-in registrations between June 11, when the county was selected for the pilot program, and Aug. 18 — a span of roughly two months.
The county said that given the continued rapid pace of population growth after Aug. 18, a provisional tally suggests the total number of newly registered residents has now reached around 1,000.
Accounting for both arrivals and departures, the county's net population rose by 649, from 22,312 on June 11 to 22,961 as of Friday.
As of Aug. 18, the largest share of new arrivals came from Chuncheon, with 208 people, followed by Seoul with 107, Incheon with 39, Goyang, Daegu and Wonju with 22 each, and Yangju with 21.
Residents also relocated to Hwacheon-gun from Namyangju, Suwon, Busan, South Jeolla Province, Gwangju, Paju, Bucheon, Sejong, Inje, Cheonan, Guri, Gimpo, Gyeryong, Pohang, Geoje, Gyeongju and even Jeju, where six people made the move.
Residents who registered in Hwacheon-gun after June 11 will receive three months of back-paid basic income after completing a three-month residency verification process.
The county said that because the basic income is distributed as local currency through the Hwacheon Love Card and similar instruments, it expects a rise in consumer spending and a corresponding boost in income for small business owners.
In the roughly two weeks between Aug. 28, when basic income payments began, and Thursday, a provisional total of 2.78 billion won ($2.06 million) in basic income had been spent across Hwacheon-gun.
That works out to an average daily spending volume of more than 185 million won. Spending was broadly distributed across restaurants, hagwon, convenience stores and gas stations, among other businesses.
The county said that if the basic income program continues beyond next year and is combined with what it calls the "Hwacheon-type sunshine pension," monthly payments could reach 250,000 to 300,000 won per person.
"The rural basic income program has raised attention to Hwacheon and is translating into actual move-ins," County Chief Kim Se-hun said. "We will push ahead without delay on the support needed — including the supply of medium- and large-scale rental housing — so that newly arrived residents can settle and live here with stability."
The rural basic income policy provides monthly payments in the form of local gift vouchers to residents of rural and fishing communities facing population decline and the threat of regional extinction, with each person receiving 150,000 won per month.
abc@heraldcorp.com
