Prime Minister Kim Inspects Basic Income Program in Namhae-gun: "A Positive Catalyst That Must Succeed"

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok visited Namhae-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, to inspect the status of the rural basic income pilot project.

After receiving a briefing on the current status today (June 12), Prime Minister Kim noted, "The basic income has proven its value with figures over a short period," adding, "It has raised expectations that it could serve as a positive catalyst for the local economy, and significant benefits have actually been generated."

He emphasized, "Ultimately, it seems that (basic income) can have various effects, such as revitalizing local regions and preventing overheating in Seoul. In that sense, I believe we must make this project a success."

Prime Minister Kim also expressed his hope that successful cases like that of Namhae-gun could be compiled and shared with other regions.

Following the briefing, Prime Minister Kim visited local shops to encourage residents and personally purchased items such as bookmarks.

When a resident asked for an autograph, he wrote his name along with the phrase, "Basic income forever."

Previously, President Lee Jae-myung praised the program in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on the 9th, stating, "Even though the rural basic income was introduced as a two-year temporary project, we are seeing these kinds of results. Wouldn't the effects be much greater if it were introduced permanently and the amount were increased?"

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.