Nationwide Local Specialties Gathered... 'Gometown Love Festa' Opens Today

[Anchor]

The hometown love donation system, which allows donors to receive a full tax credit for a 100,000-won donation along with a 30,000-won return gift, is already in its fourth year of implementation. The 1st Hometown Love Festa, where people can directly experience hometown love donation return gifts and make donations, opens today (the 19th) for a two-day run.

Here is a report by reporter Song In-ho.

[Reporter]

The hometown love donation system was introduced to increase poor local tax revenues and promote balanced development between the capital area and non-capital regions.

Last year, a record-high 151.5 billion won was raised, establishing it as a representative public donation system.

Hometown love donations are serving as a prime mover to revitalize the local economy through various donation projects as well as promoting the welfare of local residents.

Donors receive a full tax credit up to 100,000 won as well as a 30 percent return gift, effectively yielding 130,000 won in benefits.

[Gong Young-min / County Mayor of Goheung, Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City: Currently, a full tax credit is provided for hometown love donations up to 100,000 won. I think that if this is raised to 200,000 won or 300,000 won, more people can participate in such donations.]

The 1st Hometown Love Festa, where people can practice love for their hometowns and see donation return gifts in one place, opens today.

Co-hosted by SBS and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, this event features some 60 outstanding local governments nationwide exhibiting representative local specialties from each region and providing local festival and travel information.

During the event period, generous prizes such as eggs, keychains, and mats will be given to visitors who participate in the "Nationwide 8 Provinces Stamp Tour" and to on-site donors.

A YouTube live broadcast running for two hours starting at noon will introduce representative regional return gifts and receive real-time donations.

As a side event, a two-day international seminar between South Korea and Japan will also be held for the development of the hometown love donation system.

The event, held at the aT Center in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, starting today for two days, is open to everyone for free.

(Video by Lim Dong-guk | VJ: Kim Hyung-jin | Video Editing: Lee Sang-min)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.