How Will Yeom Yong-hyeon’s Basic Income Policy Transform Sancheong into a Global Wellness City?

Former Gyeongnam Provincial Balanced Development Director Yoo Myung-hyun (59), who is running for mayor of Sancheong County, has unveiled his key campaign promises. These include implementing a basic income for rural areas, fostering future industries, and introducing policies tailored to the local population.

Yoo held a press conference at the Sancheong County Office briefing room on the 10th, where he announced his vision to transform Sancheong into a global wellness city model that can overcome population decline.

One of his proposals is to launch a pilot project for basic income in rural areas. This initiative aims to bridge the income gap for farming households and promote a healthy economic cycle.

Yoo pointed out that the average household income in the county is approximately 34.31 million KRW (about 25,732 USD), which is only 62% of the Gyeongnam provincial average of 54.4 million KRW (about 40,800 USD). To address this disparity, he plans to provide residents with 150,000 KRW (about 112 USD) per person per month in local currency vouchers to stimulate consumption within the community.

Another key aspect of his platform is expanding the economic base by leveraging Sancheong’s geographical advantages and integrating them with future industries.

Yoo outlined plans to develop a 200,000-pyeong (approximately 6.6 million square feet) aerospace complex and a ceramic-specialized industrial park to attract high-tech companies. He pledged to support these businesses with 10 billion KRW (about 7.5 million USD) in financial aid and attractive incentives. Additionally, Yoo proposed activating local startups focused on wellness and tourism services by tapping into the province’s startup support budget of 130 billion KRW (about 97.5 million USD).

Yoo also advocated for a paradigm shift in population policy, moving from a focus on ‘permanent settlement’ to emphasizing ‘residency and relationships’ to create a vibrant living population.

He stressed the importance of developing Sancheong into a world-class wellness tourism destination and intensifying efforts to attract winter training camps to boost the winter population. Yoo also proposed establishing a workation infrastructure with shared offices and long-term stay facilities to create an environment where young and middle-aged individuals can live and work in the region.

In conclusion, Yoo emphasized his commitment to enhancing the quality of life through basic income and revitalizing Sancheong’s economy by implementing policies for future industries such as aerospace and advanced ceramics. His ultimate goal is to make Sancheong a model of success in overcoming regional decline in South Korea.