The Era of 200,000 Won for Residents of the West Sea Five Islands... Representative Bae Jun-young Achieves Budget Negotiation Results

The living support fund for residents of the West Sea Five Islands in Incheon will be increased to 200,000 won per month for those who have lived there for over 10 years, starting tomorrow. This five-year consecutive increase will help ensure the practical stability of life for residents in border areas.

Representative Bae Jun-young (People Power Party, Incheon Jung-gu Ganghwa-gun Ongjin-gun) announced on the 29th that, after final negotiations with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the increase in the support fund was confirmed, with a budget of 10.7 billion won for the 'Comprehensive Development Support for the West Sea Five Islands' project reflected in the 2026 budget.

As a result of this decision, residents who have lived in the West Sea Five Islands for over 10 years will receive 200,000 won, an increase of 20,000 won from the previous 180,000 won, while those who have lived there for less than 10 years will receive the increased support amount. The support fund, which was 100,000 won (for those over 10 years) in 2021, has doubled in five years due to the efforts of Representative Bae.

The Comprehensive Development Support project for the West Sea Five Islands is not only about the living support fund but also includes a 'life-oriented package' aimed at improving the quality of life for residents in island areas, such as ▲ renovation of old houses ▲ support for maritime transportation costs. There were disagreements among departments regarding the scale of support during the government budget preparation process, but it is reported that Representative Bae persuaded everyone from the Minister of Economy and Finance to the working-level staff to revise the guidelines.

Representative Bae emphasized, "Residents of the West Sea Five Islands are the core of national security, guarding the Northern Limit Line (NLL) while enduring constraints due to military and geographical peculiarities. It is meaningful to open the long-awaited '200,000 won era' for support, and I will ensure that the budget is appropriately executed in ways that directly benefit residents, such as improving living conditions and reducing transportation costs."