Preliminary Goyang Mayor Candidate Myeong Jaeseong Declares "Immediate Restoration of Gyeonggi Youth Basic Income"

Myeong Jaeseong and Kim Jiho:
"Gyeonggi Youth Basic Income Must Be Restored Immediately"

Myeong Jaeseong, a preliminary candidate for mayor of Goyang, and Kim Jiho, a preliminary candidate for mayor of Seongnam, held a joint press conference on the 5th at the briefing room of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council, where they strongly raised the issue of Goyang City and Seongnam City not participating in the program.

Myeong Jaeseong, a preliminary candidate for mayor of Goyang, and Kim Jiho, a preliminary candidate for mayor of Seongnam, are holding a joint press conference urging the restoration of the Gyeonggi Youth Basic Income at the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly briefing room on the 5th. Photo by Myeong Jaeseong, preliminary candidate

The two candidates stated, "Among the 31 cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province, only the youth in Goyang and Seongnam are unable to receive the Gyeonggi Youth Basic Income," adding, "This is a serious issue in terms of equity and fairness in youth policy."

The Gyeonggi Youth Basic Income is the nation's first metropolitan-level youth basic income policy, introduced during the tenure of Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jaemyung. It has been evaluated as a policy that ensures social participation of young people and revitalizes the local economy by providing local currency to 24-year-olds each quarter.

In particular, the policy is structured so that Gyeonggi Province covers 70% of the budget, while each city and county is responsible for the remaining 30%. The core issue of the press conference was that, although most cities and counties participate, only Goyang and Seongnam are not involved.

The two candidates pointed out, "Even though Gyeonggi Province covers 70% of the budget, a clear explanation is needed as to why only these two cities are not participating." They continued, "We cannot help but question whether political considerations have played a role simply because this policy was initiated during Governor Lee Jaemyung's term."

They also emphasized, "If the rights of young people are determined by political gains or losses, it is ultimately the youth who suffer," adding, "We must no longer allow the youth of Goyang and Seongnam to remain in a policy blind spot."

The two candidates officially announced three positions on this day.

First, they pledged that if elected in the June 3rd local elections, Goyang and Seongnam would immediately participate in the Gyeonggi Youth Basic Income program.

Second, they stated they would actively request that candidates for Gyeonggi Governor and Gyeonggi Provincial Council ensure that youth basic income for Goyang and Seongnam can be promoted through this year's supplementary budget.

Third, they added that they would officially request both the Democratic Party leadership and the Gyeonggi Provincial Party for political and administrative support to restore the payments.

Myeong Jaeseong and Kim Jiho stated, "Youth are not a subject of political strife but the future," adding, "We will make sure that youth in Goyang and Seongnam are never treated as second-class citizens and will restore their rights without fail."

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