Kim Jong-in: "Asked for cooperation on assembly formation, will wait... Basic income not at a concrete stage"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Ji-eun and Lim Chun-han] Kim Jong-in, the emergency committee chairman of the United Future Party, drew a line by saying, "It is not the stage to discuss basic income concretely." Regarding the formation of the parliamentary committees, he said he has asked Lee Hae-chan, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, for cooperation and will wait.

Right after visiting Lee at the National Assembly on the 3rd, Kim told reporters, "At this stage, it is not the time to discuss basic income concretely."

This came amid media speculation that specific basic income measures were being discussed within the emergency committee. He said, "Basic income is not a simple measure that can be done just by talking," adding, "It has been circulating like a buzzword these days, but it is a stage to review it in depth, so we cannot say whether it will be implemented or not immediately."

Regarding negotiations on the formation of parliamentary committees, he said, "I asked for cooperation, so we have to wait," and did not comment on specific matters such as the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. As for whether they would cooperate on the Green New Deal policy, he refrained from commenting, saying, "I have not seen anything concrete yet."