The Basic Income Party (BIP) allocated a mere 2.87 million won (approximately $2,000 USD) towards initiatives supporting women’s and youth political development in the first half of this year. This stands in stark contrast to the over 1 billion won spent on personnel and organizational activities during the same period, sparking criticism regarding the party’s commitment to social welfare for vulnerable groups.
Significant Discrepancy in Party Expenditures
Financial reports for the first half of 2024, covering January 1 to June 23, reveal that the BIP’s total expenditures reached approximately 13.98 billion won. Of this substantial amount, only 1.15 million won was designated for women’s political development and 1.72 million won for youth political development. No funds were explicitly allocated for policy development related to these demographics.
Conversely, the party spent 5.26 billion won on organizational activities and 4.78 billion won on personnel costs. These figures highlight that spending on policy development and specific programs for women and youth constituted a mere 0.28% of the total expenditure on personnel and organizational operations.
This marks a significant decrease compared to previous years. In 2024, policy development and related expenditures for women and youth accounted for 10.64% of the total budget. By 2025, this figure had already dropped to 7.79%. The trend suggests a declining emphasis on these areas, even when considering the context of local elections held in the first half of the current year.
Historical Spending Patterns
A review of the BIP’s financial report from the previous year, 2023, shows a total expenditure of 13.50 billion won. Within this, policy development received 47.38 million won, while women’s and youth political development funds amounted to 6.49 million won and 5.04 million won, respectively. Personnel costs were 6.31 billion won, and organizational activities were 1.24 billion won.
Notably, personnel costs have seen a substantial increase. In 2024, personnel expenses were 2.9 billion won, but in the first half of 2025 alone, they surged to 4.78 billion won. Similarly, organizational activity costs rose from 79 million won in 2024 to 526 million won in the first half of 2025.
Party’s Explanation for Reduced Spending
A representative for the BIP, Noh Seo-young, attributed the sharp decline in spending on policy development and support for women and youth in the first half of 2025 to the upcoming local elections. Noh explained that significant resources were directed towards organizational activities and personnel due to the election preparations.
“We had to spend a lot on organizational activities and personnel because of the local elections,” Noh stated. “Typically, we conduct campaign activities and external projects at universities each semester, utilizing funds for policy development and youth political advancement. However, in the first half of this year, our youth members were focused on the elections, leaving us with insufficient capacity to proceed with related projects.”
Criticism from Opposition
Park Soo-young, a Member of the National Assembly from the People Power Party, expressed strong criticism regarding the BIP’s expenditure patterns. “Despite the Basic Income Party positioning itself as a champion for the political development of women and youth, its actual spending on policy development and these specific initiatives is virtually non-existent,” Park remarked.
Park further questioned the qualifications of the BIP’s nominee for the Gender Equality and Family Committee, suggesting that while the nominee was appointed based on expertise in gender equality and family issues, their policy-making capabilities have not been adequately demonstrated. “Ultimately, this has failed to support not only women and youth but also the citizens,” Park concluded.
The controversy highlights a broader debate about resource allocation within political parties and the genuine commitment to supporting marginalized demographics, particularly in the lead-up to significant electoral events.
