Lee Jae-myung's 'Basic Income' Criticized by Yoo Seung-min: "Unfair and Anti-Commoner Policy... There Is No Money for That"

Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min, one of the People Power Party's presidential candidates, is being interviewed by Yonhap News Agency at the Hope 22 office in Yeouido, Seoul.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim So-young] Former People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Seung-min sharply criticized Governor Lee’s basic income policy, calling it "a very bad populism."

On the 24th, Yoo appeared on KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs' and criticized, "It is a very unfair and anti-commoner policy, and it is a crime committed with the national budget."

He said, "Governor Lee Jae-myung’s basic income and basic housing concepts mean giving the same amount of money to all citizens regardless of income or asset differences and providing the same housing to all homeless people," adding, "The Korean government and our people do not have the capacity for that. There is no money."

He continued, "The principle of welfare is to spend more money on those in need, even if it is the same amount," and stated, "Whether it is welfare, jobs, or housing, Governor Lee’s policies and my policies are at opposite ends."

When asked about his strengths compared to former Prosecutor General Yoon, Yoo cited 'economy.' He said, "Not only have I worked in the economy all my life, but I also believe that economic growth is the foundation for solving various worsening issues in the post-COVID era," expressing confidence that "I can be very differentiated from candidates with backgrounds as judges or prosecutors."

Regarding Yoon’s indirect communication style, he said, "It is not desirable as a method of communication," and added, "It has been reported in the media that he will soon declare his candidacy, but I expect that he will now communicate directly with the people."

Meanwhile, Yoo commented on the recent rise in his poll ratings, saying, "It seems that the public has high expectations for the People Power Party, the main opposition party," and expressed confidence, "As long as we continue to show this change and innovation, I believe I can achieve good results in the next presidential election."

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