"Cosmetics Sample-Level" Criticism, Lee Jae-myung Hits Back: "Stop Twisting Words and Offer Alternatives"

Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province. / Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung responded to former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Se-yeon, who criticized his basic income policy as being at the "level of a cosmetic sample," by saying, "I hope he presents feasible alternatives rather than distorting my words to attack me."

In a post on his Facebook on the 16th, Governor Lee emphasized, "Basic income is both a welfare policy that supports household income and an economic policy that guarantees sustainable growth by stimulating consumption and alleviating sales polarization through extinguishable local currency. It is an unavoidable welfare-economic policy in the post-COVID era."

He continued, "(Basic income) is unfamiliar and full of challenges, but if deemed necessary, it is the role of a politician who 'creates new paths' to garner public consensus and find concrete ways to realize it," adding, "No one is satisfied with the first spoonful of rice, and even a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step. If we give up just because it is difficult, politics loses its reason for existence."

Governor Lee explained to former lawmaker Kim, "A monthly amount of 40,000 to 80,000 won per person might be pocket change, like a 'cosmetic sample,' to Mr. Kim, who has lived comfortably as a billionaire with assets in the trillions, but for the majority of ordinary citizens who face extreme choices due to lack of food or are burdened by debt without savings, 2 to 4 million won annually for a family of four is a huge sum."

He added, "I agree that the amount is insufficient, but that cannot be a reason to abandon implementation," and "If necessary, it is better to do even a little rather than give up, and isn't that the image of a pragmatic reformer rather than a revolutionary?"

Former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Se-yeon. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

Earlier, Governor Lee proposed implementing a basic income policy of 500,000 won per person per year (about 41,600 won per month) in the short term. He plans to expand this to 1 million won per person per year in the medium term and to 500,000 won per person per month in the long term.

Regarding this, former lawmaker Kim pointed out on his Facebook on the 15th, "Calling a monthly payment of about 41,600 won 'basic income' is inappropriate because the name and essence are too far apart."

He likened the short- and medium-term payment amounts to a "cosmetic sample," criticizing, "One might insist that a cosmetic sample is still a cosmetic, but in reality, it is like putting a small amount of content that cannot be called basic income into a large package box labeled 'basic income' and trying to sell it."

He further speculated, "I guess this was hastily proposed to align with next year's presidential election schedule," and pointed out, "If the strategy is just to claim the achievement of 'the first implementation of basic income,' it deserves criticism."

However, former lawmaker Kim acknowledged, "Basic income was proposed as an answer to the question of how to sustain communities in a world where jobs disappear," and evaluated, "Governor Lee's realistic understanding of technological revolution and its ripple effects is more advanced than that of others."

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