Ahn Cheol-soo: "We Must Move Beyond Popularity-Driven Basic Income Discussions"

"South Korean-Style Basic Income Should Be Prioritized for Vulnerable Groups"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, stated on the 1st that regarding basic income, “I hope that the prominent politicians currently mentioned as presidential candidates in our country move beyond discussions of basic income that are merely about vote calculation or popularity-seeking.”

At the policy seminar “On(on) National Study Room” held at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building on the same day, Ahn said, “Politics must no longer harm the lives of the people,” and added, “From now on, a proper future-oriented debate is needed on basic income and existing welfare systems concerning income security, eliminating blind spots, income redistribution, and consumption increase effects.”

Ahn explained, “The Korean-style basic income that the People’s Party will propose differs from the five basic income elements advocated by the Basic Income Earth Network, which are unconditional, universal, regular, cash payments to all citizens. It is a basic income based on John Rawls’ theory of justice, which prioritizes allocating the government’s available welfare resources to the disadvantaged.”

Referring to Sweden’s pension reform case, Ahn emphasized, “Establishing a sustainable welfare system from a long-term perspective is not achieved through elections but through political consensus.”

Ahn pointed out, “In Southern Europe, welfare systems were mainly created through election promises, leading to popularity-driven, unsustainable systems that have caused national fiscal collapse.”

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