Gimhae City announced on the 30th that it will award scholarships of 500,000 KRW (about US$375) per student to 600 college students living in areas affected by airport noise, totaling 300 million KRW (about US$225,000).
This scholarship program is part of resident support initiatives under the \"Act on Prevention of Airport Noise and Support for Noise Control Areas.\" The city says the program seeks to ease education costs for residents who experience daily disruptions from airport noise and to develop local talent.
This year, Gimhae doubled the number of awards to 600, up from 300 last year. The city also introduced online applications via its website in addition to in-person registration at local administrative welfare centers, allowing residents to apply more conveniently.
Recipients are selected based on factors including length of residence in the airport-noise area, proximity to the airport, whether the household has multiple children, and the number of college students in the household. Students enrolled at local universities receive additional points to encourage regional talent retention.
Since establishing the scholarship in 2018, Gimhae City has awarded scholarships to 1,736 students, disbursing a total of 868 million KRW (about US$651,000) to date. The city says this support has provided tangible compensation for airport-noise impacts while expanding educational opportunities.
The areas designated as affected by airport noise were named in a 2023 notice from the Busan Regional Aviation Office and include Juchon-myeon, Daedong-myeon, Bulam-dong, Hwalcheon-dong, Saman-dong, Buwon-dong, Hoyeon-dong, Dongsang-dong, Naeoe-dong, and parts of Chilsan-seobu-dong, where roughly 90,000 people reside.
In addition to the scholarship program, Gimhae City offers residents a range of support services, including hearing tests, hearing aids, subsidies for farm machinery rental, and psychological counseling.
A Gimhae City official said, \"We will continue to expand high-impact support programs to improve the daily lives of residents affected by airport noise.\"
