[Provided by Cheongsong-gun]
[Provided by Cheongsong-gun]

Cheongsong-gun in North Gyeongsang Province saw 318 new residents register their addresses within a single week, local officials said Saturday.

According to Cheongsong-gun, the 318 move-ins were recorded from June 11 to June 17, the week after news broke that the county had been selected as a pilot site for the rural basic income program.

By township, Jinbo-myeon recorded the highest number of arrivals at 122, followed by Cheongsong-eup with 83, Bunam-myeon and Hyeonseo-myeon with 25 each, Andeok-myeon with 23, Hyeondong-myeon with 15, Juwangsan-myeon with 13, and Pacheon-myeon with 12.

For a county of roughly 23,000 residents, the influx is considered unusually large. County officials attributed the surge to Cheongsong-gun's selection as a pilot site for the rural and fishing village basic income program.

The program is designed to counter population decline, aging and the threat of regional extinction by distributing a set monthly amount in local currency to residents of rural areas.

Cheongsong-gun plans to run the pilot from August through December next year. Eligible residents — verified through residency requirements and other qualification checks — will receive 150,000 won (about $98) per person per month in Cheongsong Love Currency.

"We will use this pilot program as a pivotal turning point in overcoming the threat of regional extinction, and build a successful Cheongsong-style basic income model that stabilizes residents' lives, revives the local economy and strengthens community bonds," county chief Yun Gyeong-hui said.


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com