Comprehensive Policy Comparison: Lee Jae-myung, Kim Moon-soo, and Lee Jun-seok
As South Korea’s 2025 presidential election draws closer, the focus has shifted from merely who will win to what kind of future each candidate envisions. The leading contenders — Lee Jae-myung, Kim Moon-soo, and Lee Jun-seok — are presenting distinct policy platforms that reflect their political ideologies and party lines. In this blog post, we’ll delve into their economic, welfare, foreign policy, and political reform proposals to offer a nuanced understanding of what each candidate stands for.
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**Lee Jae-myung’s Economic Proposals**
Lee Jae-myung emphasizes a dual approach of ‘fair distribution’ and ‘substantial growth.’ One of his cornerstone policies is the gradual implementation of a basic income system, designed to provide all citizens with a guaranteed income. This policy is underpinned by a comprehensive funding plan. He also proposes introducing a land ownership tax to curb unearned income from real estate, directing these funds toward affordable housing and expanded welfare services. Lee is keen on breaking up the concentrated economic power of conglomerates by banning cross-shareholding and regulating unfair business practices. His economic proposals include measures to protect small businesses from technology theft and overhaul subcontracting systems.
**Kim Moon-soo’s Economic Policies**
Kim Moon-soo focuses on ‘labor reform’ and a ‘private sector-led economy.’ He plans to lower corporate taxes to stimulate investment and expand privatization of public institutions to enhance market efficiency. Kim advocates for structural reform of strong unions, proposing the opening of public sector labor markets, expanding performance-based pay, and banning political involvement by unions. Unlike Lee, Kim prioritizes bolstering large corporations’ global competitiveness over supporting small businesses, emphasizing recovery of private sector resilience over welfare expansion.
**Lee Jun-seok’s Economic Initiatives**
Lee Jun-seok is centered on supporting the digital economy and youth entrepreneurship. He intends to shift away from an industry structure dominated by large corporations, aiming to relax regulations and offer tax incentives to startups and small businesses. His proposals include increasing startup support funds for young entrepreneurs, promoting non-contact industries, and protecting platform workers’ rights. In real estate, Lee suggests easing regulations on multiple homeowners and reconsidering capital gains tax adjustments, favoring market autonomy over regulatory approaches.
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**Lee Jae-myung’s Welfare Agenda**
Lee Jae-myung champions universal welfare, focusing on enhancing public healthcare by expanding national hospitals and strengthening regional medical centers to address healthcare disparities. In housing, he proposes introducing ‘basic housing’ to ensure stable living conditions for all. His education policies include completing free high school education, expanding state support for college tuition, and strengthening childcare systems from daycare through elementary school. His overarching aim is to stabilize living foundations through government intervention.
**Kim Moon-soo’s Social Welfare Vision**
Kim Moon-soo emphasizes self-reliance through work rather than welfare. He stands firmly against expanding public healthcare or implementing basic income, advocating for the activation of private insurance and the freedom of choice in medical treatment. In education, Kim supports parental choice and the autonomy of private schools, favoring improved quality through competition rather than regulating private education.
**Lee Jun-seok’s Welfare Reforms**
Lee Jun-seok seeks to redesign welfare with a focus on efficiency rather than mere expansion. He proposes prioritizing infrastructure expansion in healthcare and childcare over cash benefits and institutionalizing policy effectiveness evaluations for welfare spending. His youth housing policies include expanding public dormitories and increasing budgets for youth rent support. Lee also mentions restructuring welfare delivery systems to reduce redundant expenses through digital administration reform.
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**Lee Jae-myung’s Foreign Policy Framework**
Lee Jae-myung promotes ‘pragmatic diplomacy’ based on restoring the Korean Peninsula peace process and maintaining balanced diplomacy in Northeast Asia. He advocates for resuming dialogue and exchanges with North Korea to ease tensions, with long-term goals of joint prosperity. Lee supports reinstating the 9/19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement and gradually resuming humanitarian aid, as well as reopening the Kaesong Industrial Complex and Mount Kumgang tourism. He emphasizes strengthening the U.S.-Korea alliance while advocating for the quick transfer of wartime operational control, and seeks to maintain strategic cooperation with China and Japan while prioritizing national interests.
**Kim Moon-soo’s Security Strategy**
Kim Moon-soo labels North Korea as a ‘clear hostile state,’ opposing negotiations or exchanges to reduce military tensions. He openly discusses deploying additional THAAD systems and nuclear armament, advocating for peace through deterrence. Kim underscores the U.S.-Korea alliance as the cornerstone of security and supports expanding military cooperation with Japan. His foreign policy includes purging ‘pro-North Korean forces’ and linking domestic politics with security.
**Lee Jun-seok’s Diplomatic Approach**
Lee Jun-seok takes a pragmatic approach, distancing himself from the extreme stances of the two main parties. He supports ‘conditional negotiations’ while respecting international sanctions on North Korea. Lee is open to limited economic exchanges if North Korea agrees to freeze and inspect its nuclear program. He supports strengthening the U.S.-Korea alliance and balanced diplomacy with China. Regarding Japan, Lee proposes separating historical issues from economic cooperation, focusing on pragmatic diplomacy. His security policies also include enhancing digital security and cyber warfare capabilities.
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**Lee Jae-myung’s Reform Proposals**
Lee Jae-myung prioritizes prosecutorial reform and preventing the politicization of judicial power. His proposals include separating prosecutorial investigation and indictment powers, strengthening the functions of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, and institutionalizing special prosecutors. In legislative reform, Lee suggests limiting parliamentary immunity, reducing privileges, and adjusting the number of lawmakers. He also mentions relocating some parliamentary functions as part of ‘balanced regional development’ and emphasizing fiscal autonomy for local governments.
**Kim Moon-soo’s Political Agenda**
Kim Moon-soo’s core political reform is the ‘removal of leftist forces.’ He argues for legislation to dissolve leftist parties and punish anti-national statements, rejecting changes to the election system and opposing increasing the number of lawmakers or expanding the proportional representation system. Kim focuses more on breaking ties between civic groups and politics rather than media reform, emphasizing factional dynamics over political transparency.
**Lee Jun-seok’s Political Innovations**
Lee Jun-seok advocates for significant changes in political reform, aiming to dismantle the entrenched two-party system. He proposes expanding the proportional representation system, consolidating electoral districts, and strengthening youth quotas. Lee emphasizes tech-centric reforms, such as digital platform parties and online voting systems, and aims to ensure fairness and transparency in party nomination processes. His generational politics include legislative reforms to provide practical opportunities for young politicians aged 18 and over.
By examining the candidates’ policies, voters can make informed decisions that align with their values and the future they envision for South Korea.
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