"Gyeongsangnam-do Rural and Fishing Village Basic Income Ordinance" Meets Requirements for Residents' Initiative ... 15,519 Signatures

Farmers', labor and civic groups in Gyeongsangnam-do called for the enactment of the "Gyeongsangnam-do Rural and Fishing Village Basic Income Ordinance," saying a petition drive to propose the ordinance had met the legal requirements.

The Gyeongsangnam-do Rural and Fishing Village Basic Income Ordinance Enactment Movement Headquarters, made up of 13 groups including the Gyeongsangnam-do Basic Income Coalition for Rural and Fishing Villages, the Busan-Gyeongnam Federation of the National Peasants' League, and the Gyeongsangnam-do chapter of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, held a press conference at the provincial government press center on November 4.

The Gyeongsangnam-do Rural Basic Income Ordinance Enactment Campaign Headquarters is holding a press conference at the press center of the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Government. [Photo by Lee Seryeong]

The groups said, "As of October 31, a total of 15,519 people had taken part in the petition drive, which began on August 7, exceeding the legal requirement of 14,000 signatures."

They went on to support the implementation of a basic income program for rural and fishing villages, saying, "A basic income for rural and fishing villages is a new social alternative to revitalize communities facing the threat of disappearance, stimulate local economies, and protect the dignified lives of their residents. If rural and fishing villages collapse, agriculture will collapse, and if agriculture collapses, the nation's food supply and food sovereignty will also be threatened."

They added, "We will carefully verify the validity of the signature sheets and ensure that the petition process proceeds without a hitch," and said, "We will strongly urge Gyeongsangnam-do and its provincial council to take steps to implement the policy, including enacting the ordinance in substantive terms and allocating a budget."

Park Gapsang, chair of the Busan-Gyeongnam Federation of the National Peasants' League, said, "Local governments are in a difficult position because of the local funding burden for the basic income program for rural and fishing villages," adding, "Since the central government launched the program, national funding should naturally increase."

He also said, "The program should be overseen by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, not the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs," adding, "Although the central government plans to cover 50% of the costs starting next year, the national government's share should be raised to at least 70-80% to ease the burden on local governments and enable full implementation."

Park said, "The petition for the ordinance already meets the legal requirements, but we will keep collecting signatures, even if it is difficult, aiming for 100,000 to help save rural communities that are disappearing," adding, "I hope local residents will also step forward and join the petition."

A residents' ordinance petition is a system through which a certain number of residents jointly sign a petition asking a local council to enact, amend, or repeal an ordinance.

The group was launched on July 28 to promote the enactment of the Gyeongsangnam-do Rural and Fishing Village Basic Income Ordinance and has been conducting the petition drive.

It plans to continue collecting signatures through December and submit a residents' petition for the ordinance bill in January next year.

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