Lee Jae-myung "Government's Disaster Income, Not Disaster Relief Fund, Is Correct"... Urges Prompt Execution

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[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, urged the government to promptly disburse emergency disaster relief funds to overcome disasters and revive the economy. He also argued that the term "disaster income" is more appropriate than "disaster relief funds."

On the 26th, through a post titled "Disaster Relief Funds and Disaster Income" on Facebook, Governor Lee emphasized, "When the entire nation faces a crisis due to a national disaster, it is the government's duty and the people's rightful claim to use government resources and authority to support the collapsing lives of the people, revive the stagnant economy, and eliminate future uncertainties."

He continued, "Fiscal expenditure is not support where the people are passive recipients, but income that the people, as active subjects, rightfully demand," and pointed out, "Although disaster income and disaster relief seem similar in content and wording, there is a significant difference in the subject and content orientation between the two terms."

He first explained, "The subject of (disaster) relief is the government, but the subject of (disaster) income is the people; relief carries strong connotations of charity or welfare, whereas income embodies dignity and rights."

He added, "(Disaster) relief feels one-time and transient, whereas (disaster) income is future-oriented."

Governor Lee particularly stated, "In a sovereign nation, the government acts on behalf of the sovereign people, and all government resources originate from taxes paid by the people," and clarified, "Welfare is not charity or benevolence to help the poor, but a constitutional obligation of the state and a right of the people to live with dignity."

Furthermore, he argued, "Countries where the proportion of public transfer income in individuals' total income is high are generally advanced and welfare states," and "Our country has an extremely low proportion of public transfer income, and to become an advanced welfare state in the future, increasing public transfer income and raising taxes for this purpose are important tasks."

Finally, Governor Lee urged the government to promptly provide disaster relief funds, saying, "In the digital economy era of the 4th Industrial Revolution, which will be rapidly accelerated by COVID-19, the importance of basic income will increase," and "In conclusion, regardless of the name, whether a black cat or a white cat, as long as it catches mice well, swift execution of fiscal policies for disaster recovery and economic revival is crucial."

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