Rural Basic Income Pilot (농어촌기본소득 시범사업 / Rural and Fishing Village Basic Income Pilot Project)
A national pilot administered by South Korea's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) that pays every registered resident of designated depopulating rural counties a flat monthly stipend. The program began with 10 counties (selected late 2025, first payments starting Dec 2025-Feb 2026, including Okcheon in North Chungcheong) and expanded in June 2026 to 17 counties nationwide. Each resident receives 150,000 KRW (~$102 USD) per month for up to 24 months (2026-2027), paid as local-currency gift vouchers redeemable within the county, with no income, employment, or means test. Early results show sharp jumps in new resident registrations and local commerce in pilot counties.
Rural Depopulation, Place-Based, National Pilot, Local Currency Voucher, Population Growth Incentive
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), Republic of Korea
- City
- Sejong
- State / Province
- Sejong Special Self-Governing City
- Country
- South Korea
Contact
- Website
- https://www.mafra.go.kr/
- Phone
- +82 1588-9059
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Active
- Application status
- Rolling
- Number of recipients
- 334,150
- Funding type
- Government
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Total Amount
- 2,442
- Avg. Per Month
- 101.75
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 24 months
- Distribution Type
- Local currency voucher (지역사랑상품권 — card-type or mobile-app regional gift certificate, redeemable at local merchants within the pilot county)
- Benefit details
Each eligible resident receives 150,000 KRW (~$102 USD as of July 2026) per month, paid as region-specific local currency vouchers rather than cash, intended to also stimulate local spending. Payments run for up to 24 months across the 2026-2027 pilot window (Okcheon's cycle was shortened to 23 months due to its earlier start). A family of four in a pilot county receives roughly 600,000 KRW (~$407 USD) combined per month. Funding is split roughly 40-50% central government, ~30% provincial government, ~30% county government (national co-pay share was raised from 40% to 50% via a 2026 supplementary budget). At least one county (Boseong) tops up the national 150,000 KRW with an extra 50,000 KRW from county funds for 200,000 KRW/month total.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Open to individuals of any age who are registered residents (Jumin deungnok) and have actually resided in one of the pilot counties for at least 30 days immediately before applying (a shorter ~3-day physical-presence standard applies to those who relocate their registration but commute to work elsewhere). Foreign nationals with valid residency documentation (foreign registration card, resident registration copy, permanent residency certificate, or refugee recognition certificate) are also eligible. Authorities run on-site verification, housing checks, and community-committee reviews to screen out 'paper residents' who register without actually living locally. No income, asset, employment, or household composition restrictions apply.
Citizenship
- Citizenship / immigration status
- Citizen, Permanent Resident, Refugee
Geography
- Countries covered
- South Korea
- Counties covered
- Original 10 (selected late 2025, payments began Dec 2025-Feb 2026): Yeoncheon (Gyeonggi), Jeongseon (Gangwon), Okcheon (North Chungcheong), Cheongyang (South Chungcheong), Sunchang (North Jeolla), Jangsu (North Jeolla), Gokseong (South Jeolla), Sinan (South Jeolla), Yeongyang (North Gyeongsang), Namhae (South Gyeongsang). Added June 2026 (payments begin Aug 2026): Hwacheon (Gangwon), Boeun (North Chungcheong), Jinan (North Jeolla), Muju (North Jeolla), Gurye (South Jeolla), Boseong (South Jeolla), Cheongsong (North Gyeongsang) — 17 counties total as of July 2026.
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
- Minimum Years A Resident of Target Geography
- 1 years
Application Process
- How to apply
Residents apply via the national Gov24 portal (www.gov.kr) or in person at their county's eup/myeon (township) administrative welfare/community service centers. Each pilot county has run its own application window tied to its selection date (e.g., Okcheon opened applications Jan 7, 2026 ahead of its first payment on Feb 27, 2026); the 7 counties added in June 2026 began accepting applications around July 2026 ahead of first payments expected Aug 28, 2026.
- Selection process
Pilot counties are chosen by MAFRA through a competitive national application process open to county governments in officially designated population-decline/depopulation-risk areas. 10 counties were selected in the initial late-2025 round; 3 more (Okcheon, Jangsu, Gokseong) were added after resident protests over initial rejections; a second call added 7 more counties in June 2026, bringing the total to 17. Within a selected county, individual recipients are not competitively chosen — all residents who meet the residence-registration and physical-residency requirements are enrolled, subject to verification checks (site visits, housing confirmation, community committee review) to exclude 'paper residents'.
