"Worsening Situation of Starving to Death Rather Than Dying from Illness"... Ruling Party's Non-Standing Members Hold Disaster Recovery Income Forum

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] Lee Han-ju, president of the Gyeonggi Research Institute, proposed urgently providing 500,000 to 1,000,000 won in local currency to all citizens, stating that "the situation of starving to death has become more severe than dying from illness." The 'COVID-19 Disaster Recovery Income Promotion Group,' composed of non-registered candidates from the Democratic Party, held a forum at the National Assembly on the 12th, where Lee participated as a discussant. The Gyeonggi Research Institute is a policy research organization established through joint funding from Gyeonggi Province, city and county governments, and local businesses.

On the 12th, a forum titled "How to Realize COVID-19 Disaster Recovery Income?" was held at the National Assembly. This forum was hosted by the "COVID-19 Disaster Recovery Income Promotion Group," consisting of 51 Democratic Party candidates outside the National Assembly, including Kim Min-seok, Chair of the Democratic Party's Inclusive Nation Vision Committee, and Min Gi, Professor of Public Administration at Jeju National University. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

He said, "Providing 500,000 won would require 26 trillion won, and 1,000,000 won would require 52 trillion won in fiscal expenditure," adding, "This would enable all citizens to cope with the economic crisis and increase sales for small business owners and self-employed individuals through consumption stimulation." He advocated for payment in local currency rather than cash. Lee stated, "In Japan, after the Fukushima nuclear accident, the disaster income received was not spent; it all went into drawers," and added, "It is effective to provide local currency for short-term consumption, such as for three months."

Earlier at the forum, Min Ki, a professor in the Department of Public Administration at Jeju National University, introduced the concept of 'disaster recovery income' instead of 'disaster basic income,' proposing selective payments of 500,000 won to households in the bottom 60% income bracket.

Participants in the forum agreed that cash-type support is necessary and that the government's fiscal capacity can support it. There were differences regarding whether to provide payments to all citizens or only to vulnerable groups.

Seoul City proposed 'Emergency Disaster Living Expenses Support.' This plan suggests providing 600,000 won to households below the median income who do not receive benefits from existing systems such as the National Basic Livelihood Security System or unemployment benefits. The payment would be made in two installments of 300,000 won per month, with recipients able to choose between local love gift certificates and prepaid cards, which must be used by the end of May.

Kwon Jeong-soon, Seoul City's Public Policy Advisor for Livelihood, explained, "This will benefit lower-middle-income groups such as non-regular workers, part-time workers, freelancers, and platform workers who have been excluded from existing welfare systems."

Seo Cheol-mo, mayor of Hwaseong City, said, "Out of 45,000 small business owners in Hwaseong, we decided to distribute 2 million won each to 33,000," adding, "We need to alleviate the anxiety of self-employed individuals."

Kim Min-seok, former Democratic Party lawmaker who moderated the session, said, "I hope the supplementary budget includes support for the middle class," and added, "If that is not possible, the supplementary budget can be processed separately, and the fund can proceed independently."

Kim Young-bae, former Blue House Civil Affairs Secretary, also emphasized, "There is a need to schedule additional National Assembly sessions," and said, "We should prepare with the mindset of keeping the National Assembly open even during election season, rather than ending with the March session."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.