Lee Jae-myung: "Fifth Disaster Relief Fund Should Be Distributed Per Capita Without Gender or Age Discrimination"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung presented specific guidelines for the fifth disaster relief fund.

Governor Lee stated his existing position through SNS on the 3rd that "disaster relief funds should be distributed as regional currency," while pointing out that the first disaster relief fund contained discrimination.

The governor said, "The first disaster relief fund created discrimination based on household size due to the per-household distribution limit, and household members were excluded as household heads received the full amount. Due to household characteristics where eldest males are predominant, discrimination occurred between household heads and members, and vulnerable younger household members, particularly women, were excluded, sometimes causing family conflict," he pointed out.

He continued, "Therefore, this disaster relief fund should support small business owners through regional currency, but the regional currency should be distributed equally per capita without gender or age discrimination, rather than per household where discrimination and exclusion occur."

Below is the full text of Governor Lee Jae-myung's SNS post.

<Fifth Disaster Relief Fund Should Be Distributed as Regional Currency Per Capita Without Gender or Age Discrimination, Supporting Small Business Owners>
Compared to approximately 40 trillion won from the second through fourth disaster relief funds, which were three times larger, the economic effect of 13.4 trillion won distributed as regional currency to all households nationwide is proven by economic statistics and is a fact felt by the entire nation. During the first disaster relief fund distribution, alleyway merchants experienced boom-like prosperity for two to three months similar to holiday seasons, and there was concern about inflation. The second through fourth disaster relief funds had larger amounts, but because they were distributed in cash, there was almost no forced consumption effect or multiplier effect.
When disaster relief funds are distributed as cash, they dissipate like water in sand and end, but when time-limited regional currency forces small business owner sales within a certain period, the multiplier effect occurs like flowing water calling forth more sales, and with the effect of mitigating sales polarization, the primary economic ecosystem comes alive. Therefore, this disaster relief fund should be distributed as regional currency, an economic policy that helps small business owners and self-employed workers, and it is fair that all citizens enjoy the benefits from implementing economic policy rather than excluding taxpaying citizens.
The first disaster relief fund created discrimination based on household size due to per-household distribution limits, and household members were excluded as household heads received the full amount. Due to household characteristics where eldest males predominate, discrimination occurred between household heads and members, and vulnerable younger household members, particularly women, were excluded, sometimes causing family conflict.
Therefore, this disaster relief fund should support small business owners through regional currency, but the regional currency should be distributed equally per capita without gender or age discrimination, rather than per household where discrimination and exclusion occur.