Kim Yong-beom, deputy minister for policy at Cheong Wa Dae, proposed a "national dividend," a plan to return the AI-era windfall profits of Korea's economy to all citizens. He said that because Korea has supply chains for AI-integrated infrastructure such as memory semiconductors, batteries, displays, and power equipment, a long boom and excess tax revenues are expected. But since the current structure is likely to concentrate wealth among certain groups, a mechanism is needed to distribute the windfall profits "earned from an industrial base built together by all citizens."
On the night of the 11th, Deputy Minister Kim wrote on Facebook, "The fruits of the AI infrastructure era are not the result of specific corporations," adding, "They come from the industrial base that all citizens have built together over half a century." He continued, "Some of those fruits should be structurally returned to all citizens," and tentatively named this the "national dividend." Specifically, he mentioned a youth startup asset, a basic income program for rural communities, support for artists, strengthening the old age pension, and an AI-era transition education account.
Deputy Minister Kim said, "By nature, AI-era windfall profits are concentrated," adding that only groups with access to productive assets—such as shareholders of memory corporations, key engineers, and asset holders in the Seoul metropolitan area—will benefit through market mechanisms. Conversely, he viewed that a large share of the middle class would enjoy only indirect effects such as improved purchasing power from a stronger won, limited fiscal transfer, and some asset appreciation.
He said, "If there are no excess tax revenues, the national dividend is a pipe dream," but added, "If the argument holds, then letting the fruits of those windfall profits spill away without any principle is the more irresponsible choice." He also said, "Even if the nation becomes wealthy, the distribution of wealth does not spread automatically," noting that "how to socially stabilize windfall profits" is the core question of the AI era.
Deputy Minister Kim's social media post came as the Samsung Electronics labor union, demanding institutional changes such as "abolishing the cap on performance bonuses" and "allocating 15% of operating profit as the bonus pool," is confronting management ahead of a general strike. Although Deputy Minister Kim did not explicitly mention the Samsung Electronics labor union in his post, the message appears to be in line with President Lee's repeated emphasis to unions on "a society that shares the fruits together" and a "sense of community."
He said, "The fruits of the AI infrastructure era are not the result of specific corporations. They come from the industrial base that all citizens have built together over half a century," adding, "If so, the principle and legitimacy of designing the (tentative national dividend system) is that some of those fruits should be structurally returned to all citizens."