South Korea's New President Lee Jae-myung's Vision for Basic Income

As the newly elected president of South Korea, Lee Jae-myung has a lesser-known but significant identity as a staunch supporter of basic income, in addition to the well-known labels such as "Soda Mayor" and "Hunger Striker." For over a decade, he has been exploring ways to enable every citizen to unconditionally share in the wealth of society, especially in the era of artificial intelligence.

Basic income, also known as universal basic income or unconditional basic income ( UBI ), is a cash income distributed to everyone at regular intervals without the need for economic status investigation or work requirements. This concept has a long history, from Thomas More's "Utopia" in the 16th century to economists in the 1960s, and now to the tech elites of the 21st century, more and more people are beginning to seriously discuss the possibility of UBI.

Lee Jae-myung is the most active practitioner of the UBI concept in South Korea. In 2016, when he served as the mayor of Seongnam, he first attempted to provide unconditional cash subsidies to young people aged 24. Despite facing criticism, this policy achieved unexpected success and had a positive impact on the local economy. After being elected governor of Gyeonggi Province in 2018, he expanded this program to a broader population. In 2022, he launched a bolder experiment in rural areas, providing monthly allowances to all residents of a village.

In the 2022 presidential election, Lee Jae-myung proposed a comprehensive UBI plan aimed at providing economic support to all South Korean citizens. However, due to controversies over funding sources and other issues, he had to make adjustments to the proposal. Although he lost the election by a narrow margin, this experience made him realize that implementing UBI requires a more cautious strategy.

In the 2025 presidential election, Lee Jae-myung took a more restrained attitude towards UBI, emphasizing economic development and technological innovation more. However, as the election approached, he proposed a vision of a "basic society," reiterating the core concept of UBI. He believes that in an era where AI and automation dominate production, traditional employment models are no longer applicable, and the benefits brought by technological advancements should be shared by all.

Lee Jae-myung views UBI as a key solution to address social polarization, the impact of technological revolution, and economic recession. He emphasizes that UBI is not just a welfare policy, but a means to guarantee citizens' basic economic rights, capable of redefining labor and enabling people to pursue more meaningful work and self-fulfillment.

It is worth noting that the concept of UBI has gained widespread attention in South Korea. Not only is there a dedicated political party supporting this idea, but other political forces are also beginning to explore similar income support schemes. However, the comprehensive implementation of UBI still faces numerous challenges, including issues related to fiscal sustainability, social consensus, and policy execution.

Regardless of what the future holds, Lee Jae-myung's relentless exploration of UBI provides valuable experience for the innovation of social policies in Korea and even globally. In an era of rapid technological development, the questions he raises are worth pondering: How can humanity maintain dignity and value in a production model dominated by machines? This may be the most valuable legacy he leaves to the political world—an eternal proposition about the future of humanity.