Population and Consumption Rise Through Rural Basic Income... K-Food Exports Hit Record High of $13.63 Billion [First-Year Achievements of the Lee Jae-myung Administration]

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it has promoted the Rural Basic Income Pilot Project and cited the resulting increases in population, consumption and entrepreneurship as one of the Lee Jae-myung administration's first-year achievements. In the 10 counties participating in the pilot project, the local population rose 4.7%, while the number of local merchants increased 13.2%.
At the 22nd Cabinet Meeting and 9th Emergency Economic Review Meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae on the 20th, Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryeong presented the administration's key accomplishments on its first anniversary.
Song said that even in the early stage of the project, changes were already visible, including population growth, higher local spending, more startups and a revival of community ties. She added that 43% of new residents had moved in from the Seoul metropolitan area and nearby major cities, while the share of young people increased by 6.2%.
MAFRA plans to go beyond basic income payments by linking the program with mobile markets and support for youth startups. It also intends to actively foster social economy organizations and expand support to include care services.
Song said, "In June, we plan to select five more counties, expanding the target areas from 10 to 15, and we will move quickly to enact the Basic Income Act." She added, "In particular, we will closely review the direction of the full-scale project through an analysis of its effects."
Expanding K-Food exports was another major achievement. Last year, K-Food Plus exports reached a record $13.63 billion. This year's target is $16 billion. Song said, "For K-Food, we surpassed $10 billion for the first time, and agricultural exports, which had been stagnant, rebounded with a 9% increase from the previous year." She added that the K-Food Plus target for this year was set at a highly ambitious level.
Strengthening food support for the public was also listed as a key result. The Agricultural and Food Voucher program was expanded to households with young adults, and the 1,000-Won Breakfast Program, which has been popular with university students, was extended to workers at industrial complexes. The Children's Fruit Snack Program and the Eco-friendly Agricultural Products Support Program for Pregnant Women, both suspended since 2023, were restored.
Song said, "MAFRA will continue to do its utmost to ensure there are no blind spots in food support for the public."
syj@fnnews.com Seo Young-joon Reporter