BOSEONG — Boseong County Mayor Kim Cheol-woo marked his first 100 days in office by putting continuity in county administration and tangible results at the center of his agenda. Building on the growth foundation laid during his previous two terms, he plans to concentrate the county's resources on stabilizing residents' livelihoods and creating new industries.
Kim describes the 100-day mark not as a fresh start but as an expansion of accumulated change. Through rural basic income payments, inclusion of county projects in the government budget proposal, and the finalization of his campaign pledges, he has moved his commitments to residents into the implementation stage.
The core of that agenda is policy that touches residents' daily lives directly.
Under a pilot rural basic income program, Boseong County pays 200,000 won per month to each eligible resident who actually lives in the county, in the form of local gift certificates. That consists of the 150,000 won standard set for the central government pilot plus 50,000 won from county funds. The program targets both household financial stability and a recovery in local spending.
As of the 12th, cumulative payments totaled 19.795 billion won. Of that, 17.766 billion won was spent at local affiliated merchants, for a cumulative usage rate of 89.7%. The figures suggest the cash support is not simply welfare but is flowing through to sales at local businesses.
Population trends have also drawn attention.
As of Oct. 11, Boseong County's population stood at 38,236, an increase of 1,517 from June 10, before the county was selected as a pilot site. The county says it will keep the basic income program running steadily while also improving housing, jobs and living conditions to sustain the recovery in population.
Another pillar of Kim's administration is turning Boseong's identity into growth industries.
The flagship sector is tea. The county is pursuing a modernization project for its matcha processing facilities, upgrading aging equipment at the Boseong Green Tea Processing and Distribution Center and expanding dedicated matcha manufacturing and processing lines. The plan goes beyond repairs, aiming to extend the brand value of Boseong green tea into the higher-margin matcha industry.
Marine tourism is another key growth pillar for this term.
The county is preparing to become a marine tourism hub on the southern coast, drawing on the Beolgyo tidal flats, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, and the ecological resources of Yeoja Bay and Deungnyang Bay. It plans to broaden its base for stay-oriented tourism through a national marine ecological park at Yeoja Bay, designation of Yulpo Port as a national fishing port, and construction of the Yulpo marine complex center.
Welfare and living conditions are being addressed in parallel.
Boseong County has drawn up its sixth community social security plan, covering 2027 through 2030. It will build a welfare system tied closely to daily life, reflecting residents' needs in income, housing, care, jobs, health, and education and culture.
The county is also moving quickly to secure funding.
The 2027 government budget proposal includes 4 billion won in state funds for four priority projects: modernization of the matcha processing facilities, consulting work related to the designation of Yulpo Port as a national fishing port, and sewerage improvements for rural and fishing villages in Deungnyang-myeon and Beolgyo-eup. The county plans to engage actively during National Assembly deliberations to ensure the allocations are finalized.
The pledges for this term have also been spelled out.
Boseong County has finalized 47 projects across five areas as its pledges for the current term. The main areas are life-cycle welfare and education, innovation in farming and fishing communities, better living conditions, a growth base for young adults and the local economy, and completion of a stay-oriented tourism county. The county will manage implementation and results systematically through quarterly reviews and assessments by a pledge implementation evaluation committee.
"The past 100 days have been a time for keeping our promises to residents and preparing Boseong's next leap forward," Kim said. "I will attend carefully to our major projects so that rural basic income supports residents' daily lives and so that Boseong's tea culture, tidal flats and sea translate into local income and jobs."
He added: "In this term, I will turn the foundation built over my previous two terms into results that residents can feel. I will carry forward a county administration that prepares Boseong's next 100 years without wavering."