Lee Jae Myung pledges to realize ”basic society” in South Korean presidential election

Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of South Korea's largest progressive opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea, reiterated on the 2nd his commitment to realizing a "basic society" in which the entire nation guarantees the basic standard of living of its citizens.
In a message titled "For a True Korea Where Everyone Can Live with Dignity," which was released through his Facebook account and the party's public relations department that afternoon, candidate Lee said, "We will work to eradicate poverty and
"We will build a country where people do not give up their lives because of poverty, and a Korea where everyone can live with dignity," Lee said.
He touched on the case of a man who died alone in Songpa-gu, Seoul, who took his own life leaving a note saying, "I am truly sorry." He said, "Society at the time was deeply shocked, and no one said, 'We will never forget those who died in poverty.'
However, "in 2022, a mother in her 60s and her two daughters who were fighting an illness took their own lives, in 2023, a woman in her 40s, and most recently, a mother and daughter in Iksan City took their own lives again.
More than a decade has passed, but Korean society has failed to protect them,” Lee said. Regarding the current situation, he said, “The reality is even harsher. As of January this year, 100,000 self-employed people were killed in just two months.
"The number of people in the country has decreased by more than 200,000," he said. "Even in downtown areas, every other store is vacant. The rate of business closures has reached an all-time high over the past two years, exceeding the levels during the COVID-19 virus outbreak and the Korean currency crisis."
"The crisis has become even more serious as high interest rates and prices have been compounded by martial law and civil unrest," he said.
In response to this plight, candidate Lee said, "In the face of this reality, I see our weak and powerless people.
"We cannot throw this away. We will guarantee the lives and safety of the people, and a minimum standard of living that is worthy of a human being," he said, emphasizing that "a strong social safety net is a promise that the nation must keep."
He continued, "We want to ensure that everyone has a minimum standard of living and that they are able to withstand crises so that the socially vulnerable and those who are vulnerable do not have to give up on life due to financial difficulties.
"We will build a strong social safety net that can protect each other," he said. "This election is not just about changing the government. It will be a test of whether we can overcome a national crisis comparable to the Korean currency crisis."
"Trade friction and changes in the global security environment have pushed the already difficult civilian economy into crisis, and we need to support self-employed people and small business owners who are on the brink of collapse," he said.
"We must save the nation and restart the growth engine that has been stalled," he said. "Politics should be a tool to change lives," he said, "each day you endure will be a little better."
"To make the world a better place, that is the reason politics exists," said candidate Lee. "I will turn the 'nameless suffering' that exists today into hope, not despair or resignation," he said.
"I will achieve politics that will have a positive impact on the economy and livelihood of the people," he said, expressing his determination to "create a country where people can live prosperously together and
"We will definitely keep this promise to a Korea where the lives of each and every person are respected," he said.