Lee Jae-myung's Public Question to Lee Jun-seok: "Have Your Thoughts on Basic Income Changed?"

Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung. / Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, publicly asked Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, about his stance on basic income and universal disaster relief payments.

On the 20th, Governor Lee posted on Facebook a message titled "An Open Inquiry to Leader Lee Jun-seok, Who Values Fairness."

"Have your thoughts changed on selective welfare being unfair and basic income being fair?"

"Do you support basic income or a universal disaster relief payment equivalent to it?"

"What is your position on some party members’ policy claims and attacks on basic income that contradict the party platform and your beliefs?"

There were three questions. Governor Lee said, "There are reports that Leader Lee Jun-seok stated in his book, ‘Allowances paid to all citizens have no fairness controversy, so he supports basic income. Youth allowances or old-age pensions benefit only specific groups, so he opposes them as unfair.’ Based on Leader Lee’s logic supporting basic income and opposing old-age pensions and youth allowances, selective disaster relief payments also violate fairness, so I assume you would at least partially support universal disaster relief payments this time."

This comment was made in reference to renewed attention on Lee’s book published two years ago, titled Fair Competition.

He added, "Basic income is Article 1, Clause 1 of the People Power Party’s platform and a policy advocated by former emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in and Leader Lee. Yet, some party members propose policies like guaranteed income or fair income that selectively support only lower-income earners and even attack basic income."

He also asked, "If feasibility is equal, I acknowledge that guaranteed income or wealth income tax could be better policies than basic income. However, considering your expression of ‘unfair’ policies where taxpayers and beneficiaries are separated, is it really possible to overcome tax resistance and implement such policies?"