Gyeonggi Province Spokesperson "Welcomes the Proposal of the National Assembly's Basic Income Public Discussion Act"

Kim Hong-guk, Spokesperson of Gyeonggi Province

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Kim Hong-guk, spokesperson for Gyeonggi Province, released a statement welcoming the bill on the public discussion of basic income proposed by 32 members of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party of Korea on the 30th of last month.

In his statement on the 1st, Spokesperson Kim said, "Assemblyman Min Hyung-bae of the Democratic Party of Korea officially proposed a bill on June 30th to expand social discussions and reach consensus on basic income (the Act on the Public Discussion of the Basic Income System)." He added, "As public interest and social discussions on basic income are maturing, Gyeonggi Province welcomes the establishment of a legal basis for the state to take responsibility and facilitate public discussion."

He continued, "Due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, small business owners and micro-entrepreneurs are being pushed to the edge of an 'income cliff,' and with the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, fundamental changes in industries are causing the value of labor to decline and jobs to decrease," emphasizing, "Basic income is an economic policy that helps the state and citizens overcome economic crises in a new way, aligned with the changing times."

He also stated, "As proven by the previous universal disaster relief payments, basic income, which is provided unconditionally to all citizens, supplements the spending capacity of households in urgent need of support and stimulates consumption in local markets, creating a circulation effect that revitalizes the overall economy." He added, "According to the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, a majority of the public (52.2%) supports basic income, which provides a certain amount to all citizens."

However, he noted, "Currently, only formal and narrow discussions on basic income are taking place in some political circles, and there is a lack of deliberation and debate that truly represent the will of the people." He concluded, "In this situation, the bill to establish and operate a Public Discussion Committee to listen to and discuss specific and diverse public opinions on the concept, principles, direction, and methods of basic income, which guarantees the economic basic rights of citizens, is highly anticipated, and I hope the bill will be passed promptly."

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