Lee Jae-myung "Regrettable that Government Provides 70%, but Must Follow Decided Policy"

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, emphasized that the Gyeonggi Province-type Disaster Basic Income is an economic policy, not a welfare policy, and that the speed of implementation is more important than anything else.

He also opposed in principle the government's decision to have local governments bear 20% of the emergency disaster relief fund, but drew a line by stating that since a practical agreement has already been reached, there is no room for dispute.

Furthermore, regarding the government's decision not to provide disaster relief funds to all citizens nationwide, he stated that while debate is necessary before policy decisions, once decided, it is appropriate to cooperate as much as possible.

At an emergency briefing on the Gyeonggi Province-type Disaster Basic Income held at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office on the 1st, Governor Lee said, "In the fight against infectious diseases, doing well is important, but doing quickly is more important," and emphasized, "The Gyeonggi Province-type Disaster Basic Income is an economic policy, not a welfare policy."

He added, "By providing it in the form of local currency with a limited usage period, it is designed to serve as a primer that circulates funds to traditional markets and neighborhood businesses, increasing sales for small business owners and micro-entrepreneurs, thereby revitalizing economic circulation."

Regarding the government's requirement that local governments bear 20% of the emergency disaster relief fund, he explained, "Just as it is not right to call it criticism when you poke a finger while dancing, it should not be seen as setting an angle (against the government). It was just a statement of principle, and since a practical agreement on (government-local matching contributions) has already been reached, there is no dispute."

Earlier, through Facebook the previous day, Governor Lee expressed dissatisfaction, saying, "Initially, the ruling party, government, and Blue House agreed that if the central government pre-pays disaster relief funds to local governments, it would compensate through supplementary budgets and encourage disaster support. It is hard to accept the government's decision to have local governments ultimately bear 20% of the emergency disaster relief fund."

Finally, regarding the decision to selectively provide disaster relief funds rather than to all citizens, Governor Lee argued, "Before policy decisions, fierce debate is necessary, but once the policy is decided, it is right to cooperate as much as possible."

On the same day, Governor Lee announced that the Gyeonggi Province-type Disaster Basic Income would be provided in three forms?local currency, credit card, and prepaid card?at 100,000 KRW per individual starting from the 9th.

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