President Lee Jae-myung visited North Gyeongsang Province on Oct. 31 to inspect a pilot providing residents of depopulating rural areas with 150,000 won in local gift certificates each month. The program is operating in 17 of South Korea’s 69 designated population-decline counties, including Yeongyang and Cheongsong. Lee said restrictions on where the vouchers can be spent are central to directing money toward local commerce, even though residents may find them inconvenient. He said the program’s political uncertainty threatens its stability and called for sustained budgets, effective local implementation and stronger engagement by county governors. After touring a mobile market and meeting residents, Lee said the program was helping household finances and revitalizing local commerce, and pledged to expand it to more areas to help rural and fishing communities retain residents and attract newcomers.