Yoon pledges ‘digital platform’ for government services, affairs

The main opposition People Power Party’s presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol on Sunday pledged to establish a digital system to integrate all government portals into one platform, and to provide “personalized” services to the people.

“I want to transform the government into a digital platform government, which provides services to the people based on digital technology and big data,” Yoon said.

Yoon said that the envisioned digital platform would “accurately assess the needs of the people based on scientific data, to take necessary measures in advance, and to provide fair service to the people.”

If elected, Yoon’s government would adopt “My AI Portal” that will act like a “personal AI steward.”

The system would integrate all government portals into one, and people would have an account of their own to access all administrative services that have been personalized for them there.

With the digitalized analytical platform, Yoon said his government would fare better in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, and come up with more “scientific” and “delicate” preventive measures.

“The Moon Jae-in administration has ignored the people. It concealed a lot of information from the public to hide its failures in early prevention of the coronavirus spread, and in vaccine introduction,” Yoon said, adding that the administration’s “unscientific” measures harmed millions of small-business owners.

For those who are not familiar with using digital platforms, Yoon’s party said their administration would hire some 10,000 digital guides to provide help. 

On the same day, Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the minor opposition People’s Party, proposed abolishing a policy that mandates support for family members with low income.

The obligatory provider policy only allows those without close kin or “obligatory provider” to receive livelihood benefits.

“In this 21st century society where perspectives and structure have largely changed, it is an old way of thinking to make poverty a joint responsibility of a family,” Ahn said at the National Assembly on Sunday.

“It has already been over 20 years since the National Basic Living Security Act has been enforced, and a big blind spot still exists. Some 500,000 people with income below 40 percent of the median income stay poor, and do not receive national subsidy.”

Expanding the recipients to those who earn below the 40 percent median income, Ahn said it will cost about 3 trillion to 5 trillion won ($2.5 billion-$4.2 billion), annually.

Ahn also said he would come up with more detailed measures to prevent a possible abuse of the law. 

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)