[Chungnam Uijeong Current Scene] ⑭ "From residents discovering local issues to solving them"

[※ Editor's note = The members of the Chungnam Provincial Assembly are operating 20 research groups this year. The purpose is for assembly members, experts, and public officials to come together to find solutions to local issues, propose policies, or prepare ordinance drafts. The Yeungnam News will submit a planned article introducing the purpose and activities of the research groups, policy alternatives, the process of legislation, etc., once a week.] (Hongseong=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Jun-beom = Chungcheongnam-do entered a super-aged society at the beginning of 2022, and around this period, the imbalance in the population structure, centered on the rural areas of this region, has accelerated. Last year, the proportion of the population aged 65 and over in Chungnam increased to 22.7% of the total, and the aging phenomenon has become severe, with all cities and counties except Cheonan, Asan, and Gyeryong qualifying as super-aged societies. In response to this situation, the government and local governments have set the activation of resident-led communities as a core policy agenda and have begun to prepare a specific roadmap. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced the '2024 Rural Economic and Social Service Revitalization Basic Plan Establishment and Status Survey' manual, setting the direction for project promotion. The Chungnam Provincial Assembly is also focusing on establishing effective policies to respond to the deepening rural crisis due to population decline and aging. According to the Chungnam Provincial Assembly on the 4th, Representative Park Mi-ok (proportional) formed the 'Rural Community Revitalization Policy Research Group' in June last year. The research group, consisting of a total of 11 members, focused on establishing a service provision system for the elderly, disabled, and multicultural families who are in administrative support blind spots. Specifically, they discussed establishing an integrated care model based on the community living area, training care chiefs and resident activists, and establishing a 'Rural Economic and Social Service Revitalization Support Center' at the metropolitan level. In particular, the focus was on creating a self-sustaining environment where residents can discover and solve local issues through the revitalization of rural communities. Additionally, they proposed the 'Chungcheongnam-do Rural Economic and Social Service Revitalization Support Ordinance' at the provincial assembly level, clarifying the basis for financial support for policy implementation. Representative Park said, "Rural residents directly..."