Shin Dong-geun: "Disaster relief funds are not basic income... It's like calling Hong Gil-dong Hong Gil-dong when he's not" targeting Lee Jae-myung

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] On the 24th, Shin Dong-geun, a candidate for the Supreme Council member in the Democratic Party's August 29th party convention, criticized Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung's claim for nationwide disaster relief payments, saying, "Approaching temporary living support payments due to disasters as basic income is wrong," and added, "It's like calling someone Hong Gil-dong when they are not." Earlier that day, Lee stated on Facebook, "(Selective payments) violate the constitutional principle of equality and abandon the universal welfare line upheld by the Democratic Party, aligning instead with the conservative opposition's selective welfare line."

Shin Dong-geun, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is being interviewed on the 14th at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

In response, Representative Shin said, "It was simply a situation where we had to choose the scope of temporary disaster relief payments, but he insisted that since this is basic income, it should naturally be paid to all citizens," and rebutted, "By approaching disaster relief payments as basic income and attributing excessive meaning to it, errors and confusion have occurred."

He added, "The claim that selective payments align with the conservative opposition is a wrong provocation," and said, "Such claims (that selective payments violate equality) fundamentally deny the welfare state based on progressive taxation and differentiated support principles."

He continued, "If we talk about the constitutional principle of equality here, it can unintentionally be distorted into defending vested interests, so caution is necessary," emphasizing, "Progressives should always be concerned with alleviating inequality and gaps. I believe it is better to give double to the bottom 50% than to pay 100% of the population."

Regarding the formulation of the 4th supplementary budget (supplementary budget), Representative Shin also said, "Discussions should not proceed as if the 4th supplementary budget is immediately disaster relief payments," adding, "There was a 2nd supplementary budget formulated at the end of April for disaster relief payments. A rigorous evaluation of that should be conducted first."

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