Disaster Basic Income of 150,000 KRW Regardless of Age or Income
Total of 1.6 Million KRW for a Family of Four Including Government Emergency Disaster Relief Fund
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Bucheon City in Gyeonggi Province will provide disaster basic income of 50,000 KRW per person to all citizens. Combined with the disaster basic income provided by Gyeonggi Province, each Bucheon citizen will receive a total of 150,000 KRW.
On the 3rd, Bucheon Mayor Jang Deokcheon held an emergency briefing and announced that due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, an emergency disaster relief fund of about 70 billion KRW will be provided to stabilize citizens' lives and revitalize the local economy.
Mayor Jang said, "We will provide a total of 41.4 billion KRW, 50,000 KRW per person to all citizens without any income criteria, and support about 28.5 billion KRW to households in the bottom 70% income bracket in connection with the government's emergency disaster relief fund. Although the situation is difficult, we hope that the support fund will ease the financial burden on citizens and invigorate the local economy."
Accordingly, a four-person household in Bucheon will receive a total of 1.6 million KRW, including 1 million KRW from the government's emergency disaster relief fund, 400,000 KRW from Gyeonggi Province's disaster basic income, and 200,000 KRW from Bucheon City.
However, while Bucheon City and Gyeonggi Province's disaster basic income are provided to all citizens regardless of age or income, the government's emergency disaster relief fund is given only to households in the bottom 70% income bracket.
Bucheon Mayor Jang Deok-cheon is holding an online briefing on the emergency disaster relief fund policy on the 3rd. [Photo by Bucheon City]
Bucheon City plans to prepare detailed support plans and disclose them through the city website and official SNS in the future. In addition, separate support measures will be prepared for small business owners and self-employed individuals who have suffered direct or indirect damage due to COVID-19.
Meanwhile, Mayor Jang publicly expressed opposition last month to the 'Gyeonggi Province-type disaster basic income,' which provides 100,000 KRW to all Gyeonggi residents, causing conflict.
At that time, he argued, "Providing 100,000 KRW to 870,000 people in Bucheon would cost 87 billion KRW, and it would be better to give 4 million KRW each to about 20,000 small business owners who are struggling."
However, when Gyeonggi Province considered providing disaster basic income to all except Bucheon City, he admitted his mistake and apologized.
On the 26th of last month, through his Facebook, Mayor Jang expressed sympathy for the basic intent of the disaster basic income, saying, "Every policy has pros and cons, and I agree that welfare policies should be universal. Generally, selective welfare requires a lot of cost and time to select beneficiaries, and in that respect, I also agree that universal welfare is better for policies requiring urgency in disaster situations."
He added, "By emphasizing my opinion, I omitted the comparison of pros and cons between Gyeonggi Province's disaster basic income and my opinion. The policy of disaster basic income itself is very meaningful. Because I expressed my opinion externally instead of internally beforehand, policies requiring speed were affected, causing delays in measures. This situation is undesirable, and it is my fault."
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