"Rich People Are Not Criminals"... Lee Jae-myung and Oh Se-hoon Debate 'Ansim Income'

Lee Jae-myung's 'Basic Income' vs Oh Se-hoon's 'Safe Income'... Daily Clash Over Welfare Policies
Lee Jae-myung: "Safe Income is a short-sighted remedy unsuitable for the era of low growth and polarization"
Oh Se-hoon: "Basic Income violates fundamental principles and is a guise for populist cash handouts"

Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung (left), who has advocated for basic income, and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (right), who supports assured income, have been engaged in daily debates over welfare policies.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, who has advocated for basic income, and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who supports the Anshim Income (Safe Income) policy, have been engaged in daily disputes over welfare policies.

On the 29th, Lee posted on his Facebook, addressing Mayor Oh, "It would be good if you could clarify how you plan to secure the Anshim Income funds, estimated at 17 trillion won for Seoul alone (approximately 85 trillion won nationwide). Only then can suspicions that Anshim Income is a deceptive empty promise to citizens be dispelled."

He pointed out, "According to the 'Anshim Income' policy, which pays 50% of the difference between the median income (4-person household monthly income of 4.88 million won in 2021) and actual income to households below the median income, a 4-person family not working would receive 2.44 million won monthly," adding, "If they earn 2 million won more, the support is cut by 1 million won, leaving only 1 million won in income, which creates a high possibility of employment avoidance."

He also questioned the budget used for Anshim Income payments, stating, "The taxes paid proportionally by the middle class and the wealthy, who are not beneficiaries of Anshim Income," and asked, "While it is understandable that they are taxed proportionally to their income, why should they be discriminated against in terms of benefits from tax expenditures? Is there a reasonable reason to exclude someone who earns just one won more than the beneficiaries? If implemented partially, how will you select 200 people out of 5 million below the median income?"

He continued, "If paid through a basic income system, it is fair because there is no stigma effect and taxpayers also benefit, and there is an economic growth effect from increased sales through local currency payments," arguing, "Basic income does not provide a reason to avoid work, and jobs with low pay but high life satisfaction, such as cultural and artistic activities and public service, will greatly increase, while wage pressure will decrease as it serves as a social safety net."

Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung posted a critique on his Facebook on the 29th against Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's proposed Guaranteed Income.
[Photo by Facebook capture]

Earlier, on the 28th, Lee also criticized Mayor Oh’s Anshim Income claim on his Facebook, saying, "Mayor Oh, who previously sparked controversy over discriminatory free school meals by selecting only low-income children, has now started 'Anshim Income,' which selectively supports only households below the median income."

Lee stated, "The middle class and the wealthy are not criminals," and argued, "It is difficult to gain consent for resource procurement that unilaterally demands sacrifice and responsibility from ordinary people who have simply succeeded." He further criticized, "Mayor Oh’s Anshim Income is a short-sighted remedy unsuitable for the era of low growth and polarization."

In response, Mayor Oh said on the same day, "Governor Lee’s basic income is nothing more than a populist cash handout," and "It is merely a wrapper that rationalizes cash distribution under the name of basic income, nothing more and nothing less."

He pointed out, "The basic principle of basic income is to provide a fixed amount of cash regularly every month to everyone unconditionally," but "Most of the basic income policies implemented by Governor Lee violate this basic principle." He criticized that most policies promoted as part of basic income are one-time and lack universality.

He added, "Governor Lee’s basic income has been criticized as 'merely temporary bailout funds,' 'giving the same amount to both the rich and the poor actually worsens polarization,' and 'if done properly, the resources are simply unmanageable.' Also, even Finland’s basic income experiment, which paid 700,000 won monthly, is evaluated as a failure in terms of effectiveness."

He emphasized his Anshim Income policy, saying, "It minimizes additional financial burdens, encourages work motivation, and supports more people in need so that they can grow into the middle class," calling it "a special remedy for resolving polarization." He also added, "Anshim Income is just the beginning, a new model welfare experiment in preparation for the Fourth Industrial Revolution era."

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