Jung Chung-rae of the Democratic Party of Korea said there had been no prior discussion within the party regarding the "national dividend" proposed by Presidential Office policy chief Kim Yong-beom and noted that a process to gather opinions is needed.
Jung held a press conference at the National Assembly on the 13th and, when asked about the "national dividend," said, "I also discussed related matters with the party policy chief, but it appears there was no party-level discussion."
Jung added, "At a time of a civilization-scale transformation such as artificial intelligence (AI), various issues are moving down paths we have never taken before," and said, "I believe policy chief Kim Yong-beom's proposal also comes from that awareness of the issues."
However, Jung said, "Rather than pushing it as policy right now, sufficient research and academic reflection should first be conducted in academia."
He continued, "If academic results accumulate and opinions emerge that can be applied to reality, it is desirable to compile them and develop them into policy and law." He also said, "In that process, public consensus and communication, and sufficient gathering of opinions are necessary."
The "national dividend" drew controversy after policy chief Kim Yong-beom, on the 11th, named as a "national dividend" a method of returning excess tax revenues arising from the performance boom of Korean semiconductor companies to all citizens and proposed it via Facebook. The Presidential Office also said it was "a personal opinion unrelated to internal discussions or reviews."