- Applications beginning for ‘Youth Fishing Village Settlement Support Program,’ offering a maximum of KRW 1 million in monthly subsidies -

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Minister MOON, Seong-Hyeok) announced its plans to start accepting applications for the ‘2022 Youth Fishing Village Settlement Support Program’ from this December to attract young fishermen to fishing villages.

The ‘Youth Fishing Village Settlement Support Program’ is an annual national project, which started in 2018, to support the stable settlement of the younger generation in their early stages of business. Through this program, the young fishermen will be receiving settlement subsidies of KRW 1 million in their first year, KRW 900,000 for those in their second year, and KRW 800,000 for those in their third year of management experience concerning fishery or aquafarm businesses.

* Program outcomes (recipients): (2018) 100 → (2019) 169 → (2020) 208 → (2021) 206

The fishing population of Korea continues to decline year after year (121,000 in 2019 → 105,000 in 2020), with very severe ageing* in the fishing villages.

* The rate of ageing for individuals aged 65 or more in fishing villages stands at 36.2%, more than double of the national average of 15.7%

One of the reasons for accelerated ageing is that it is not easy for the younger urban population hoping to live in fishing villages to find their place in life within these villages. Therefore, encouraging the young to settle down faster in the fishing villages is likely to help tackle the issues of a decreasing fishing population and ageing.

Any young fishermen wishing to receive support from the 2022 program can apply by submitting their applications and business plans to the city, county, or district office of their residences. Any individuals returning to the villages (including those who plan to relocate), successors of fishing businesses, or fishermen that currently reside in the fishing villages, aged between 18 to 39 (born between Jan 1, 1982 and Dec 31, 2004) with 3 or less years’ of experience in fishery or aquafarm business, are eligible to apply.

In addition, anyone ‘signing up for notification alerts’ for the Youth Fishing Village Settlement Support Program via the newly revamped ‘Returning Fishermen Information Portal Platform (www.sealife.go.kr)’ will be able to receive SMS or email notifications on the application period by the city, county, and district of their choice. You may also find the ‘Guidelines for the Youth Fishing Village Settlement Support Program,’ which provides the program details including the eligibility criteria, and the application template on the platform as well.

Director CHOI, Jong-Wook of the Fishing Community and Port Development Division at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries commented, “(the Ministry) expects that the Youth Fishing Village Settlement Support Program will be of significant help to the current young fishermen in their early stages of business as well as potential future young fishermen as they settle down in the fishing villages” and added that (the Ministry) “will continue to actively support the settlement of returning younger people to nurture their talents and to revive the fishing villages.”