On May 14, Chungnam Province announced plans to expand the "Geunyang Dream" program to all cities and counties to assist residents pushed to the brink of their livelihoods. The program provides food and daily necessities to residents in need without income qualifications or prior registration.
The province piloted the program last December in Gyeryong City and ran trials in Cheonan, Nonsan and Taean. This year it plans to open sites in Geumsan County and Boryeong City, followed by Hongseong County, Asan City and Gongju City. The province will expand the program to the remaining jurisdictions—Seosan, Dangjin, Buyeo, Seocheon, Cheongyang and Yesan—beginning in September.
The "Geunyang Dream" corners will occupy unused space inside local food banks and food markets. Residents can receive up to 20,000 KRW (approximately $15) per person, up to three times. Beyond distributing goods, the program offers counseling and connections to welfare resources so households in crisis can be identified early and linked to appropriate services.
With this expansion, the province expects to build a more comprehensive local welfare safety net and create an environment where any resident facing hardship can access help. Officials say the initiative should improve quality of life and help eliminate welfare blind spots.
A provincial official described the program as "a warm welfare platform that goes beyond simple aid to identify households in crisis and connect them with the community," and said the provincial government will continue to actively promote the initiative to eliminate welfare blind spots and improve residents' quality of life.
Chungnam — Reporter Kim Chang-young cy12200@viva100.com
