President Lee inspects basic income pilot in South Korea — Korea Herald

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Saturday visited North Gyeongsang Province in the country’s southeast to inspect a government pilot program providing a monthly basic income to residents of rural towns experiencing population decline.

Unannounced trip

Lee spoke about the unannounced trip in a social media post. He also congratulated residents of Yeongyang and Cheongsong counties, located in North Gyeongsang. Korea Herald reported on the trip, citing Yonhap.

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Payments in vouchers

Lee’s government introduced a scheme under which local residents receive gift certificates worth 150,000 won each month — approximately $112. This payment format is provided under a basic income pilot program for residents of areas facing depopulation.

A total of 69 counties in the country have been designated as regions with declining populations. The pilot program is currently being implemented in 17 of them across different parts of South Korea.