Lee Jae-myung's 'Welfare Backward Country' Remark... Sim Sang-jung Says "Basic Income Has Become a Backward Country Policy"

Sim Sang-jung, a member of the Justice Party, is speaking at a press conference on "LH Organizational Reform Plan" held at the National Assembly Communication Office in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 28th of last month. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Choyoung] Sim Sang-jung, a lawmaker from the Justice Party, expressed regret toward Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, who labeled South Korea as a "welfare underdeveloped country" while emphasizing the introduction of basic income, saying, "Basic income has merely fallen to a policy agenda useful only in underdeveloped countries."

On the 6th, Sim wrote on her Facebook, "The political disputes over alternative welfare systems have remained at the level of conceptual debates and have excessively relied on the authority of renowned authors, resulting in South Korea being stigmatized as a welfare underdeveloped country."

Sim argued, "Governor Lee's 'welfare underdeveloped country' logic falls into a self-contradiction that basic income is unnecessary once South Korea establishes itself as an advanced country. South Korea joined the OECD 25 years ago. The high elderly poverty rate and low welfare expenditure are primarily due to the weak public pension system."

She continued, "Although welfare has rapidly increased recently, it is difficult to feel its effects because inequality and asset gaps in the market are worsening," emphasizing, "We need to look at the socio-economic structure that cannot be summarized by the single term 'welfare underdeveloped country.'"

Sim said, "It is desirable that presidential candidates continue fierce debates to strengthen welfare and income security," but added, "However, many citizens are asking, 'So how much will this help me?'"

She added, "It is difficult to have productive discussions when a specific concept is absolutized and the debate is pushed in that direction. Policy discussions must be based on the realities in which citizens live. Only then can citizens' lives be changed."

Earlier, Governor Lee rebutted some opposition lawmakers who argued that basic income is more suitable for developing countries than advanced countries, saying, "South Korea is overall an advanced country, but when it comes to welfare, it cannot escape being underdeveloped in terms of scale and quality," and added, "In a welfare underdeveloped country, welfare-oriented economic policies like basic income are possible and necessary."

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