Yoon Hee-sook, Lee's Fierce Criticism: "No Basic Knowledge of Basic Income"

"There Are Various Types of Basic Income in the World"

Former People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Hee-sook is attending the plenary session held at the National Assembly plenary hall on September 13, 2021, and making a personal statement before the meeting begins. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Woo-seok] Former People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Hee-sook sharply criticized Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung's remarks on basic income during a TV debate on the 3rd, saying, "After talking about basic income for years, do you still have no elementary knowledge?" and added, "Please stop boasting about your ignorance."

During the 4th presidential candidate TV debate hosted by the Central Election Commission on the 2nd, Lee asked People Power Party candidate Yoon Seok-youl, "You often criticize basic income, but do you know that Article 1, Clause 1 of the People Power Party's party platform includes 'implementing basic income'?" Yoon immediately responded, "That basic income is different from the kind of basic income you are talking about." Lee then countered, "If you say it's an apple, it's an apple. Saying that the apple I am talking about is different seems a bit strange to me."

Regarding this exchange, former lawmaker Yoon posted on her Facebook on the 3rd, "There are various kinds of basic income apples in the world, and rather, Lee Jae-myung's 'equal to everyone' type of basic income apple is a tiny one that has never been tried in reality," adding, "You don't even know that all the systems attempted under the name of basic income so far have been designed to provide thicker and less stringent support to vulnerable groups. That is exactly the direction the People Power Party's basic income aims for."

She went on to mention various basic income cases such as Finland and the Netherlands' basic income experiments (targeting unemployment benefit recipients), Ontario, Canada's basic income experiment (targeting the poor), and Friedman-style basic income (simplifying the existing complex poverty support welfare system into cash support).

She criticized, "I am speechless at Lee Jae-myung's pathetic ignorance, who arrogantly says that even if he wants to borrow a brain from other candidates, they must have a brain to lend," and emphasized, "Please stop boasting about your ignorance."

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