President Lee Jae-myung on the 3rd said, "Quickly expand the 'Just Dream' program by adding one in each city, county and district."
At a Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House that day, after the Ministry of Health and Welfare reported it would expand the Just Dream program to 150 locations by this year, the president directed, "Please support it so that at least one can be installed in each of the 228 cities, counties and districts nationwide."
The Just Dream program provides food and daily necessities without burdensome documentation. It is currently in pilot operation at 107 locations in 67 cities, counties and districts nationwide, and over the past two months provided food and daily necessities to 36,081 people.
The president said, "People who can afford to eat say, 'Why do this?' and 'It will cause welfare dependency,' but those who have gone hungry know how bitter hunger is," adding, "Some, unable to endure hunger, make extreme choices while holding their families."
He continued, "If there is space at the residents' self-governance center, set it up, and it would be fine to use volunteer manpower," and said, "Rather than failing to start the program because there are not enough welfare counselors, it is better to implement it first, even if somewhat insufficient, and then supplement it."