One Year of the Sovereign Government... Six Award-Winning Stories from the Policy Impact Contest Released

Six Videos Produced from 20 Outstanding Entries
Showcasing Cases of Startup, Childcare, and Culture Policies

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on August 3 that it produced six videos based on winning entries from the contest "A Year of Change, How My Everyday Life Has Changed," which was held to commemorate the first anniversary of the launch of the Sovereign Government. The videos were released on July 29 through the Republic of Korea Government YouTube channel.

This contest was organized to hear firsthand accounts from citizens about changes in everyday life and special stories resulting from government policies following the launch of the Sovereign Government. The contest, which ran from May 22 to June 22, received a total of 3,326 stories submitted with photos and videos. The Ministry reviewed entries based on relevance to the theme, content originality, and authenticity of the stories, ultimately selecting 20 outstanding works. Six new videos featuring interviews with the winners and their families were produced and released.

Screenshot from the Republic of Korea Government YouTube channel.

The videos capture everyday changes brought by policies such as: Startups for All, Basic Income and Child Allowance in Rural Areas, Maternity Benefits for Workers Excluded from Employment Insurance, Expansion of Culture Days, and Support for Reduced Working Hours During Childcare.

Hwang Youngkyu, who took part in the "Startups for All" program in Busan, shared, "I was running a business with several branches in Southeast Asia, but after COVID-19, all my operations in every country stopped, and I returned to Korea empty-handed. Thanks to the Startups for All program, which lowered the entry barriers to just a single application, I was able to regain the drive to rebuild."

Seok Subin, who moved to Gurye, Jeollanam-do and is currently receiving child allowance benefits while waiting for rural basic income support, said, "I was eligible to receive the child allowance for one more year even after my child started elementary school. In depopulated areas, there is additional support available as well, so the past year has felt very different. If I can start receiving the basic income for rural residents, I think I will be able to make much more stable plans for my life."

Lee Jeongeun, Director of Digital Communication at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "This contest was an opportunity to learn about the diverse personal stories of people who felt real changes in their daily lives thanks to government policy. Going forward, we will continue to create more opportunities for citizens to experience the effectiveness of these policies and to share their stories with others."

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