On the 26th, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in Korea announced the initial distribution of a 15,000 Won basic income for residents of rural areas facing demographic decline. This pilot program involves ten counties, where participants will receive the income monthly in the form of local gift vouchers. While residents from counties such as Jangsu are receiving their payments first, others in regions like Yeoncheon and Jeongseon will receive theirs soon after. The initiative has been designed to spur local spending and economic vitality within these communities, with restrictions in place to ensure the funds support neighborhood businesses.

The basic income initiative aims to go beyond mere cash assistance; it is a method for encouraging consumer spending within the community and revitalizing the local economy. To enforce this, the Ministry has set usage restrictions based on living areas. For example, essential services like hospitals and pharmacies will still have usage access for rural residents traveling to nearby towns. Additionally, there are different spending deadlines, catering to both township and village residents to mitigate any convenience issues caused by geographic distances. Reports indicate that even before the program's official rollout, some local businesses have started to experience a positive impact, as evidenced by new openings and re-openings of establishments in places like Sinan and Cheongyang.

Finally, the Ministry has proactively created measures to prevent fraudulent claims of the basic income. This includes stringent residency checks to avoid payments to individuals with false registrations, with new residents eligible for retroactive payments only after demonstrating at least 90 days of verified residency. Over the next two years, the Ministry plans to collaborate with research institutions to assess the pilot's performance, which will inform future expansions and enhancements to the program. Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryeong emphasized that this basic income experiment aims to promote balanced regional development, revitalizing areas in demographic crisis and encouraging both retention and attraction of populations in rural locales.