Kangjin County has actively requested support from the National Assembly to establish a legal foundation for the stable implementation of rural basic income and to be selected for a pilot project in 2027.
On September 2, Deputy County Mayor Kim Jun-cheol and Population Policy Director Kim Jin-gwan visited the office of Rep. Moon Geum-joo to explain the necessity of the swift passage of the 'Rural Basic Income Bill' and the selection of Kangjin County for the pilot project.
The county conveyed its position that political attention and cooperation are needed for the rural basic income bill, currently pending in the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, to pass the plenary session and allow the program to be fully implemented starting in 2028.
In particular, they emphasized the need for increased national financial support, considering the poor financial conditions of rural local governments included in the population decline areas.
Deputy County Mayor Kim Jun-cheol stated, "The 69 counties in population decline have low financial independence, making it difficult to participate in projects without reducing existing county budgets. If the bill passes and the national subsidy rate increases from the current 40% to over 50%, it would significantly alleviate the burden on financially struggling local governments."
He also raised concerns that limiting the selection of pilot project areas could lead to adverse effects from population movement between regions and a sense of relative deprivation in unselected areas.
Deputy Mayor Kim emphasized, "It is necessary to quickly establish a legal and institutional foundation for rural basic income to ensure stable expansion beyond limited projects in certain areas."
In response, Rep. Moon Geum-joo remarked, "Rural basic income is a project aimed at revitalizing rural areas facing population extinction, and I am very interested in it. I will work hard for the passage of the bill and will actively support Kangjin County if it applies for the 2027 pilot project."
Kangjin County has highlighted its experience in implementing resident support policies using its own resources, such as agricultural and childcare allowances, as well as its initiatives like the 'Half-Price Travel' program to attract tourists as strengths for securing the pilot project.
The county plans to closely monitor future additional application schedules and government policies while detailing the financial plans and implementation systems necessary for project applications.
Kang Jin-won, the county mayor, stated, "Kangjin County has already implemented policies using county funds, such as agricultural and childcare allowances, and is pursuing various policies to respond to the rural extinction crisis, including the Half-Price Travel program. We will concentrate our administrative efforts to ensure Kangjin County is selected in the upcoming pilot project application."
Meanwhile, the government has proposed expanding the number of rural basic income target areas from 17 this year to 35 next year in the 2027 budget plan. Kangjin County is preparing for the possibility of additional pilot project applications in line with the government's expansion policy while continuously explaining the necessity of the project and local conditions to the National Assembly and relevant ministries.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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