'Rural Basic Income' Now Available for Residents in Seven Counties Including Gurye and Boseong... July and August Payments Begin August 28

Eligible Participants: 162,000 People, 150,000 Won per Person
Existing Residents to Receive Two Months’ Payment Including Retroactive July Benefit

Residents of Gurye, Boseong, Hwacheon, Boeun, Jinan, Muju, and Cheongsong counties, which were newly selected for the Rural Basic Income Pilot Project, will receive their first payment of 150,000 won per person starting from August 28, 2026. In this round, July’s payment will be retroactively applied, so each resident will receive a total of 300,000 won, covering both July and August.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on August 25, 2026, that starting from August 28, it will begin distributing 150,000 won per month in the form of local gift certificates to residents of the seven counties that were newly selected for the Rural Basic Income Pilot Project in June. Gurye, Boseong, Hwacheon, Boeun, and Cheongsong counties will receive payments on August 28, Jinan county on August 31, and Muju county is scheduled to receive payments on September 10.

To ensure the smooth operation of basic income payments, the Ministry and the seven counties established a Rural Basic Income Situation Room immediately after the selection, and set up an application and registration system to assist and facilitate applications from residents. As of the end of July, out of 185,192 eligible participants, 161,851 had applied, resulting in an application rate of 87.4%. By county, the application rates are: Gurye 86.9%, Boseong 89.6%, Hwacheon 76.6%, Boeun 84.1%, Jinan 85.7%, Muju 97.2%, and Cheongsong 91.7%.

The Ministry and each county are currently finalizing the process by screening applicants for requirements such as resident registration and actual residency, and by conducting deliberation and approval through township and town committees. For those who have not yet applied, the local governments are urging applications through text messages, informational materials, and village broadcasts to ensure all eligible residents are included. Anyone who has continuously resided in the county since before the selection date (June 11) will be eligible for retroactive payment even if their application is delayed. Existing residents will receive both July and August payments at the end of August through retroactive coverage for July. New residents will be eligible for retroactive payment after verification of 90 days of actual residency, receiving back payments for three months.

The basic income payments, starting sequentially from August 28 and including the retroactive July payment, total 56.7 billion won. To avoid concentration of spending in specific areas or business sectors and to fulfill the project’s intent of revitalizing town economies, the payments are usable only within each county’s designated living zones and specified merchants. Residents must use their benefit within three months (or within six months for residents of smaller towns).

Kim Jeonguk, Director General for Agricultural Industry Innovation Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, stated, "With strong interest from the residents of the seven counties, the application and registration process, as well as residency verification for rural basic income, are proceeding smoothly. We are closely cooperating with local governments to ensure the first payments at the end of August are made without delay. We will carefully manage this program to increase rural residents’ incomes and help stimulate the local economies."

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