Kim Seong-chan, Hampyeong County Governor Preliminary Candidate, Pledges Basic Income for Farmers and Fishermen

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] Kim Seong-chan, the Democratic Party preliminary candidate for the by-election of Hampyeong County Governor in Jeollanam-do, pledged on the 28th to realize a basic income for farmers and fishermen.

Candidate Kim said, "The Fourth Industrial Revolution, deepening polarization, and a zero-growth era without employment could become a bleak reality where there are no jobs even if people want to work," adding, "At this point, a paradigm called basic income is urgently needed as a welfare measure for ordinary people to overcome this."

He continued, "We will be the first in Hampyeong to introduce a 'basic income for farmers and fishermen' so that those who work in the most difficult fields of our society, such as agriculture, fisheries, and forestry?which can be considered public interest sectors?can maintain a basic livelihood."

He also added, "Since the farmer's allowance is strongly compensatory for production, to supplement this, we must introduce a 'basic income for farmers' that includes all residents in rural areas as beneficiaries and prepare a practical alternative to preserve farm income."

Meanwhile, on the 18th, the 'National Movement Headquarters for Promoting Basic Income for Farmers' was launched, and the basic income for farmers is emerging as a fundamental solution to revive agriculture and rural areas, which are in crisis due to free trade agreements (FTA) and the abandonment of developing country status in the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Gyeonggi Province will pay 50,000 KRW per month starting in the second half of this year to residents who have engaged in agriculture or fisheries for more than three years, even if they are not registered as agricultural or fishery management entities with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Retired residents who worked long in agriculture and fisheries are also included.

Local governments such as Jeollanam-do, Chungcheongnam-do, and Jeollabuk-do also provide a farmer's allowance of 50,000 KRW per month per farm household, but these allowances are criticized for their limitation in targeting farm households rather than individual farmers.