Lee Visits Cheongsong and Yeongyang with Hopes for “Rural and Fishing Communities Basic Income”: “To More Areas”

President Lee Reviews Basic Income's Effects and Meets with Residents

"Could Disappear at Any Time Amid Political Debate"... Ensuring Stability Remains a Challenge

Also Discusses Fiscal Support and Plans to Use Renewable Energy Revenue

President Lee Jaemyung said on October 31 that he intends to expand the rural and fishing communities basic income program to more areas. His plan is to develop the program as a key policy to address population decline and the extinction of local communities. He acknowledged, however, that political disputes over the program have clouded its long-term viability, and said securing stable funding and demonstrating its effectiveness on the ground remain future challenges.

President Lee Jaemyung visited Jinbo-myeon, Cheongsong-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, on the 31st to inspect the basic income program for rural and fishing communities and attend a luncheon meeting, the Blue House said. 2026.10.31 Yonhap News Agency

After visiting Cheongsong County and Yeongyang County in North Gyeongsang Province that day, President Lee wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “I confirmed that the basic income is helping household finances and bringing vitality to local businesses,” adding, “I will expand the rural and fishing communities basic income program to more areas and bring about these changes.” He continued, “People should be able to enjoy basic opportunities in life regardless of where they live,” and stressed, “We need to create rural and fishing communities where those who already live there can stay and new people can come and settle.”

According to the Blue House, Cheongsong County and Yeongyang County in North Gyeongsang Province were selected as pilot areas for the rural and fishing communities basic income program in June 2026 and October 2025, respectively. By adding funding from their own county budgets, they provide residents with local love gift certificates worth 200,000 won per person each month. The population of both areas had previously been declining, but has risen by more than 5% since their selection as pilot areas, and sales at local businesses have increased, the Blue House said.

President Lee visited Cheongsong and Yeongyang, both pilot areas for the rural and fishing communities basic income program, one after the other that day to assess changes in local businesses and residents’ lives. The pilot program is currently being implemented in 17 counties nationwide, and the government plans to expand it to 35 counties next year.

At a meeting with residents held at the Yeondang 1-ri community center in Yeongyang County, President Lee said, “I had a hand in designing and creating the rural and fishing communities basic income program,” adding, “It has become a subject of political debate, so its stability is quite limited.” He continued, “It is unclear when it might be discontinued, and the outcome can vary depending on who makes the decision,” and said, “Securing stability through effective operation seems to be a major challenge.”

After mentioning debate over whether the policy is effective enough to warrant ongoing investment of substantial government funds, he said, “Personally, I am convinced,” and stressed, “When we consider balanced regional development in South Korea, preventing the decline of rural and fishing communities, and enabling people to live with greater ease, this is a highly useful initiative that deserves to be among our priorities.”

Regarding residents’ inconvenience caused by restrictions on where local love gift certificates can be used, he explained that the restrictions are an unavoidable measure to increase the policy’s effectiveness. President Lee said, “There has to be some inconvenience for it to work. It is a system whose effectiveness comes from the inconvenience,” adding, “They have to be used within the county and in the neighborhood where people live to prevent spending from being concentrated in the town center.”

The Blue House said President Lee Jaemyung visited Jinbo-myeon, Cheongsong-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, on the 31st to inspect the rural and fishing village basic income program. 2026.10.31 Yonhap News Agency

Earlier, President Lee visited restaurants, butcher shops, supermarkets, and other businesses near Jinbo Traditional Market in Cheongsong County and listened to merchants’ opinions. One young merchant said, “The basic income makes it worthwhile to run a business,” while other merchants said, “Business has been good lately,” reporting that they had seen sales increase.

The head of Cheongsong County said the population had grown by 1,500 within two to three months of the basic income program’s launch. President Lee shared beef soup with rice for lunch with residents and small-business owners, heard a request to ease the burden on local finances, and said, “I will pay more attention to funding so that the basic income can be provided more stably.”

In Yeongyang County, he then toured the mobile market “Masil Market,” which sells around 150 types of daily necessities. At a meeting with residents, he said Yeongyang was his mother’s hometown and recalled visiting as a child, holding his father’s hand, to receive treatment for an ear infection.

Meanwhile, President Lee also proposed community-owned projects using Yeongyang’s wind and solar resources, as well as “sunlight farming.” The idea is to diversify funding for the basic income by returning proceeds from renewable energy projects to residents.

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