The Basic Income Philosophy and Practices of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung

As the new president of South Korea, Lee Jae-myung has not only the well-known labels of "Soda Mayor" and "Hunger Striker," but also a lesser-known yet significant identity as an active advocate and practitioner of basic income. Over the past decade, he has been dedicated to gradually transforming this seemingly utopian concept into reality.

Lee Jae-myung's core idea is that in the era of artificial intelligence, every citizen should unconditionally enjoy the right to share in the wealth of society. This thought is specifically embodied in Universal Basic Income ( UBI ), which means regularly providing cash unconditionally to all citizens.

Although the concept of UBI can be traced back several centuries, it only gained widespread attention in the 21st century with the rapid development of artificial intelligence. Several countries around the world have begun pilot programs for UBI to explore its practical feasibility. In South Korea, Lee Jae-myung is undoubtedly the most steadfast proponent of this idea.

In 2016, Lee Jae-myung, the mayor of Seongnam, introduced a bold policy: to unconditionally grant 1 million won to all youths aged 24. Although this initiative faced criticism from the then-government, it achieved unexpected success. Not only did the youth receive actual economic support, but local businesses also benefited from increased consumption, and Lee Jae-myung himself gained widespread political support.

After being elected governor of Gyeonggi Province in 2018, Lee Jae-myung expanded this plan to all 31 cities and counties within the jurisdiction. In 2022, he launched a more radical experiment in rural areas: by randomly selecting a village, providing an unconditional monthly allowance of 150,000 won for five years to the 3,880 residents of that village.

In the 2022 presidential election, Lee Jae-myung proposed a progressive UBI plan aimed at providing economic support to all South Korean citizens. The initial amount is set at 250,000 won per person per year, with a goal of increasing it to 1,000,000 won during his term. The funding for this plan primarily comes from land value tax and carbon tax. However, this proposal faced strong criticism from opponents and raised public concerns about increasing taxes related to real estate.

In the end, Lee Jae-myung lost the 2022 election by a narrow margin. This may be the political price he paid for his UBI ideology. Learning from the last lesson, Lee Jae-myung showed a significant shift in his stance and expression on the UBI issue in the 2025 presidential campaign. He deliberately avoided this topic for a time, instead emphasizing pro-business policies, research and development investment, and artificial intelligence development.

However, just 11 days before the voting day, Lee Jae-myung once again proposed the grand vision of a "Basic Society." Although this concept is not a specific UBI plan, it still reflects strong UBI elements, aiming to establish a comprehensive income support system that covers individuals from birth to old age.

Lee Jae-myung believes that in an era dominated by AI and robots, the traditional assumption of "everyone can work continuously" is outdated. The technological dividends should not be monopolized by a few but should be shared by all. He sees UBI as a core solution to address social polarization, the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, shrinking consumption, and ensuring citizens' economic rights.

In South Korea, the concept of UBI has moved from the margins to the mainstream. Not only have political organizations like the "Basic Income Party" been established, but even Lee Jae-myung's political opponent, the People Power Party, has incorporated the idea of basic income into its party platform. The city of Seoul has also launched a three-year "Safe Income" experiment.

However, the widespread implementation of UBI still faces significant challenges, including fiscal sustainability, achieving social consensus, and political and administrative coordination capabilities. Regardless of what the future holds, Lee Jae-myung's ongoing exploration of UBI has already provided valuable experience for the innovation of social policies in Korea and even globally.

In an era where material production is extremely abundant and technology is capable of replacing human labor, Lee Jae-myung's exploration raises a profound question: how can humanity maintain dignity and value in the torrent of technology after machines take over the production line? This may be the most profound political legacy he can leave behind—not a definitive answer, but an eternal proposition about the future of humanity.