Yoon "People Power's Basic Income Differs from Lee's" Lee "An Apology Is Just an Apology, How Is It Different?"

Yoon Seok-yeol Points Out "Sustainable Welfare Funding Is Difficult"
Lee Jae-myung Says "People Power Party's Platform Article 1, Clause 1 Includes Basic Income"
People Power Party Campaign Headquarters Clarify "Not the Same Cash Payment, Various Means to Guarantee Basic Life"

On the 2nd, one week before the 20th presidential election, Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, attended the 3rd invited candidate debate for the 20th presidential election hosted by the Central Election Broadcasting Debate Commission held at KBS in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers.

[Asia Economy reporters Hyunju Lee and Joohee Kang] Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, clashed with Yoon Seok-youl, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, over 'basic income' on the 2nd.

At the 3rd presidential candidate debate hosted by the National Election Commission on the same day, Candidate Yoon asked Lee, "If basic income costs 50 trillion won and creating social service jobs costs 40 trillion won, wouldn't this place a heavy burden on the budget and ultimately shrink growth through excessive tax increases, making sustainable welfare funding difficult? I would like to hear your opinion."

Candidate Lee responded, "I often hear criticism of basic income from Candidate Yoon, but do you know that Article 1, Clause 1 of the People Power Party's party platform includes basic income?"

Article 1, Clause 1 of the People Power Party's platform states, "Guaranteeing every citizen the opportunity for a healthy and happy life, and promoting various policies so that autonomous individuals have broad opportunities for choice. The state actively supports citizens to lead stable and free lives through basic income in preparation for the Fourth Industrial Revolution era. The quality of life and satisfaction are continuously observed and improved in all areas including politics, economy, society, culture, and nature."

When Candidate Yoon replied, "That basic income is different from what Candidate Lee talks about," Lee criticized, "If you say apple, it is an apple; saying the apple I mean is different is strange." Previously, Candidate Yoon faced backlash after apologizing for remarks defending former President Chun Doo-hwan and posting a photo on social media of giving an apple to a dog.

The People Power Party's campaign headquarters immediately issued a statement explaining, "The basic income in Article 1, Clause 1 of the People Power Party's platform is different from the universal basic income advocated by Candidate Lee," and added, "It is not about giving the same cash to everyone but various means to ensure that all citizens can maintain basic dignity of life, which is the concept of basic income." The campaign headquarters said, "If Candidate Lee's basic income is the maximization of universal welfare, the People Power Party's basic income is selective welfare," and "Its purpose is to support the relatively poor class below 50% of median income to eliminate poverty."