Lee pledges basic income for farming, fishing villages
SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung pledged Tuesday to provide a basic income of up to 1 million won (US$836) to residents of farming and fishing villages if elected in March.
Lee of the liberal Democratic Party announced the pledge at a press conference in Pocheon, 46 kilometers north of Seoul, as he canvassed voters in Gyeonggi Province for a third day.
Lee said he will increase the agriculture and fisheries industries' share of the government budget to 5 percent and conduct development projects to improve housing, education and facilities for senior citizens in rural neighborhoods.
"The Lee Jae-myung administration will recognize the importance of the agriculture industry, and actively protect and develop it by including it in the national growth strategy," he said.
Lee pledged to establish "money-making energy villages" to produce and sell renewable energies and return all proceeds to farmers in the form of a pension.
He also said he will foster the agriculture sector from the perspective of food security and aim to achieve a food self-sufficiency rate of 60 percent.

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party, gives an impromptu speech at a traditional market in Seongnam, south of Seoul, on Jan. 24, 2022. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)
-
Ateez realizes importance of direct interactions with fans during world tours
-
U.S. B-1B strategic bomber returns to S. Korea as N.K. fires missile
-
(URGENT) N. Korean leader Kim Jong-un calls for completing readiness for nuclear attack against enemies: KCNA
-
BTS member Jimin's single tops iTunes charts in 110 countries
-
TWICE's new album hits No. 2 on Billboard 200
-
Ateez realizes importance of direct interactions with fans during world tours
-
Defense ministry sets out to normalize military intelligence-sharing deal with Japan
-
(LEAD) S. Korea fully restores bilateral military information-sharing pact with Japan
-
(LEAD) Political divide intensifies in S. Korea over Yoon-Kishida summit
-
U.S. B-1B strategic bomber returns to S. Korea as N.K. fires missile
-
Zebra escapes from Seoul zoo
-
(LEAD) N. Korea tests 'underwater nuclear attack drone,' cruise missiles for nuclear warhead: KCNA
-
(LEAD) Zebra captured some 3 hours after escaping from Seoul zoo
-
Ateez realizes importance of direct interactions with fans during world tours
-
N. Korea says it conducted new underwater nuke weapon test, strategic cruise missile drill: KCNA