Diplomacy Journal David Kendall 기자 | 

January 23, 2026 -- The Korea Research Institute for Local Administration (KRILA), a 40-year-old policy research institute held a Korea-Japan seminar—"Understanding Hometown Love Donation Systems and Their Implications"—on Thursday, January 22, in collaboration with Japan's Mitsubishi Research Institute (三菱総合研究所) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

The seminar featured presentations on "Performance and Challenges in Operating the Hometown Love Donation System" by Associate Research Fellows Yoo Bo-ram and Jeon Young-joon from KRILA's Hometown Love Research Support Team, and "Performance and Challenges of Japan's Furusato Nozei Operation" by Senior Researcher Abe Machiko from Mitsubishi Research Institute.

The subsequent expert discussion was chaired by Shin Du-seop, Director of KRILA's Local Investment Project Management Center, with participation from Professor Yeom Myeong-bae of Chungnam National University and Kang Kyeong-moon, Director of Jeollanam-do's Hometown Love Division.

Professor Yeom Myeong-bae of Chungnam National University explained that "Korea's Hometown Love Donation System was introduced by benchmarking Japan's Furusato Nozei system, but the two countries' systems differ in operational methods, and Korea's version is gradually entering a settlement phase." He added that "efforts are needed to strengthen local governments' self-sufficiency through the Hometown Love Donation System, based on close cooperation between central and local governments for stable establishment and sustainable development of the system."

Director Kang Kyeong-moon of Jeollanam-do introduced successful cases of operating the Hometown Love Donation System in Jeonnam and explained the importance of strategies linking donations, related populations, and local economies, stating that "it is important to develop fund projects that can emphasize the meaning of hometown love with strong donor empathy, such as Jeonnam Province's 'Community Laundry Room' support project for vulnerable groups."

KRILA President Yook Dong-il stated, "The Hometown Love Donation System, introduced to promote regional independence and sustainable development based on affection and solidarity for regions in the face of local extinction crisis, is showing results, and we look forward to the system maturing through the search for developmental solutions under bilateral cooperation."

KRILA and Mitsubishi Research Institute plan to continue various cooperative projects, including joint research and academic events, to promote mutual interests and development in various fields such as local extinction and population decline, using this seminar as an opportunity.

(translated by AI, edited by David Kendall)