Lee Jae-myung outlines vision for 'basic society'

Lee Jae-myung, center, the presidential candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea, waves to supporters during a campaign rally on Jeju Island, Thursday. Yonhap

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), outlined his policy vision for a "basic society," Thursday, pledging to move Korea toward a system in which the state guarantees a basic standard of living for all people.

"A basic society is not limited to fragmented welfare or income redistribution," Lee wrote on Facebook. "It seeks to lay the foundation for sustainable growth by providing real, comprehensive guarantees in housing, health care, caregiving, education and public services."

Basic income — the provision of regular, unconditional payments to all individuals — has long been one of Lee’s signature policies. While his latest pledge did not reference the concept directly, the DPK explained that the idea has since been broadened and integrated into a more comprehensive framework.

Providing context, Lee criticized the limitations of Korea’s current welfare system, which, he said, is based on the outdated assumption that everyone is consistently able to work.

"As we enter an era of low growth, inequalities in opportunities and resources are deepening," he said. "In a high-tech society where AI (artificial intelligence) and robotics drive production, this model faces clear limitations."

At the heart of the pledge is a commitment to ensuring income security throughout all stages of life. "We will establish a comprehensive, life-cycle income support system — from birth to old age," Lee said.

Lee vowed to gradually expand child allowances and introduce a savings scheme for the younger generation. He had previously pledged to extend the current monthly payment of 100,000 won ($72.4) per child — provided for children aged until the age of 7 — to include children up to 17.

Lee also promised to revisit national pension reform and expand reverse mortgage programs to address senior poverty. Acknowledging that the parametric pension reforms previously agreed upon by both ruling and opposition parties had drawn backlash from younger generations, he stressed that future reforms would take generational equity into account.

Lee also reaffirmed his commitment to a monthly allowance for rural residents and the so-called "sunlight and wind pension," both of which carry strong elements of basic income.

Under his plan, this monthly allowance — 150,000 to 200,000 won per person, provided as local vouchers — would be funded not only through national budgets, but also by monetizing surplus electricity generated from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power.

Additionally, Lee pledged to introduce a state responsibility system across sectors that support the foundation of people’s lives. Key areas include health care, caregiving, housing, education, labor and transportation.

Measures include strengthening public, essential and regional health care services to ensure equitable access to treatment, advancing a community-integrated care system and expanding quality caregiving jobs.

Lee promised to increase the supply of high-quality public rental housing and offer a wider range of tailored public housing options. His education plan calls for improving the teacher-to-child ratio and reinforcing the state’s responsibility for public education.

To implement his vision, Lee has proposed the creation of a basic society committee, which would be tasked with defining a vision, setting policy goals and initiatives and overseeing the coordination and evaluation of related programs.

He also emphasized the importance of public-private cooperation, stating that "fiscal burdens will be eased, and policy effectiveness will be enhanced" by leveraging partnerships.

Politically sensitive issues such as working hours and retirement age were addressed in the policy package as well.

Lee reaffirmed his stance that productivity gains driven by AI and advanced technologies should translate into more leisure time, advocating for a 4.5-day workweek. He also emphasized that any extension of the retirement age should be pursued through broad social consensus.