Yong Hye-in Proposes Basic Income Deliberation Act "Let's Also Publicly Deliberate Basic Income"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] Yong Hyein, a member of the Basic Income Party, is proposing the 'Basic Income Deliberation Act.'

On the morning of the 14th, Representative Yong held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office and stated, "To achieve social consensus on the introduction of the basic income system, I propose conducting a nationwide basic income deliberation."

The bill centers on establishing a Basic Income Deliberation Committee to discuss the necessity and methods of implementing the system and to derive social consensus. The committee, composed of individuals recommended by ruling and opposition parties, will conduct a nationwide deliberation survey. The deliberation will be carried out through a citizen-participatory deliberative discussion method. The basic income deliberation will be conducted over one year across various regions nationwide, and based on the survey results, the government will be able to promote the introduction of basic income, innovation in income security systems, and tax system reforms.

He explained the purpose of the bill, saying, "To introduce the basic income system, social consensus must be reached through sufficient discussion." He continued, "Many questions arise regarding the basic income system, such as how to secure funding, whether tax increases are possible, how to reform existing social security systems, and whether there will be a loss of work motivation. Our country has undergone citizen-participatory deliberations several times to decide important policies. Deliberation is a method to confirm the considered opinions of citizens," emphasizing the necessity of deliberation.

Representative Yong stated, "Through deliberation, citizens experience political efficacy, and the government can reflect high-quality citizen opinions in policies." He added, "The deliberation survey conducted by Gyeonggi Province in 2019 and 2020 on the topic of basic income is a good example. Citizens listened to expert opinions and fellow citizens' views and engaged in intense discussions."

He further proposed, "I suggest conducting a basic income deliberation in 2021 and that the president-elect in the 2022 presidential election promote the introduction of a nationwide basic income system based on the deliberation results." He also said, "I will request meetings with the floor leaders of each party to discuss this proposal."