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| South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo speaks during a briefing at the provincial government, Sunday. Yonhap |
By Do Je-hae
The hardships faced by many citizens and businesses from the COVID-19 epidemic have raised the issue of introducing a basic income system.
While Korea does not have a regulation on basic income, some mayors and governors as well as civic groups say the nation needs such monetary support at least in case of disasters such as the coronavirus crisis.
Jeonju City in North Jeolla Province has decided to provide cash relief to people whose livelihoods have been strained by the new coronavirus, the first among municipalities.
During a session at the Jeonju City Council, Tuesday, Mayor Kim Seung-soo spoke of plans to provide 500,000 won ($417) each to the 50,000 unemployed people and non-regular workers struggling due to COVID-19.
The city government allocated 54.3 billion won in an emergency budget and asked the council to approve it. If approved, it will be the first case of a local government implementing a temporary basic income scheme during a national disaster.
The need for the emergency plan, aimed at providing financial relief for those whose incomes have been reduced by the epidemic, has also been highlighted by other local government chiefs, including South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo, a close confidant of President Moon Jae-in.
The South Gyeongsang governor's proposal is not just limited to the people in his own province. "I propose that the government and the National Assembly install a basic disaster income of 1 million won to be provided temporarily to all citizens," the governor said during a briefing at the provincial government, Sunday.
Gyeonggi Mayor Lee Jae-myung showed support for the proposal, saying that the basic income scheme is necessary for sustainable economic growth. "In the Fourth Industrial Revolution, jobs are disappearing en masse and low growth is becoming the norm. The basic income policy is the only way to turn around these economic trends and ensure sustainable growth," Lee said on his Facebook. "I will be with South Gyeongsang Governor Kim in opening the era of basic income for all people."
Lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) representing the Daegu-North Gyeongsang Province, including former Interior Minister Kim Boo-kyum, released a statement Tuesday, calling for more monetary assistance for their region. "The supplementary budget is far short of being enough. The residents of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province are in anxiety and fear over infections, and the socioeconomic damage is severe." Their proposal includes giving out 1 million won to small business owners in the region for three months as well as providing cash to low-income families and taxi drivers there.
The idea of an emergency basic income first gained public attention after Lee Jae-woong, CEO of the car-sharing app operator SoCar, posted a petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website to propose a basic income of 500,000 won per person.
Despite the rising calls, the government and Cheong Wa Dae have shown a negative response to the proposals from the local government chiefs.
"We understand why such proposals have been made," Yoon Jae-kwan, deputy spokesman of Cheong Wa Dae, said in a written briefing. "But we are not considering this."
Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki also said there are merits and demerits of basic income. "We must be extremely careful about adopting a basic income system," he said during a National Assembly session, Tuesday.
The main opposition United Future Party has criticized the proposals as a populist tactic to lure voters ahead of the April 15 general election, underlining that a basic income system will end up burdening taxpayers in the long run.
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