"Parliament Must Empower Government... Expedite Passage of Quarantine Act Amendment"
"Work Reports and TF Formation Cause Confusion in Government Response... Korean Party Should Not Use as Political Conflict"
[Asia Economy Reporter Wondara] The leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea emphasized that "it is more important to actively cooperate with the government's quarantine system rather than having excessive anxiety" regarding the novel coronavirus. Addressing the Liberty Korea Party, they stated, "The novel coronavirus should not be used as a subject of political strife," and added that "the Democratic Party also expressed its position to fully support the government by forming a task force (TF) at the National Assembly level to prevent confusion in government responses, and focusing on passing the Quarantine Act amendment in the National Assembly rather than just receiving reports."
Lee In-young, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, held a 'Press Conference on Lunar New Year Public Sentiment' at the National Assembly on the morning of the 27th, saying, "The government is operating a 24-hour emergency monitoring system for the novel coronavirus," and "We ask the public to trust the government's quarantine system and actively cooperate." He continued, "It is also important not to have excessive anxiety," emphasizing, "Now is the time to trust the government and establish a coordinated response system."
When asked whether the Democratic Party plans to form a task force (TF), Lee said, "If necessary, we will respond accordingly, but for now, it is important not to cause confusion regarding the parts that the health authorities are handling." Regarding when they would receive a briefing from the government, he said, "It is more important for the government to quickly establish and implement measures, and I think the public would find it undesirable if we were to receive reports."
Cho Jung-sik, the chairman of the Democratic Party's Policy Committee, said, "First, politics and the National Assembly must support the government so that it can respond swiftly," adding, "There will likely be discussions among the party leadership starting tomorrow. If there is any support needed from the party or the National Assembly, we plan to respond promptly."
Regarding opposition parties' attacks, Cho pointed out, "While the opposition can naturally point out the government's shortcomings, they should not disparage the health authorities' diligent efforts to prepare countermeasures." He emphasized, "Since rapid response is crucial for infections and epidemics, it should never become a subject of political strife or criticism of the government."
The Democratic Party decided to prepare for the spread of the coronavirus by passing the Quarantine Act in the National Assembly and preparing economic damage countermeasures.
Lee said, "In the case of the previous SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), the global economic loss reached 40 billion dollars," adding, "The party and government will protect the lives of our people while assessing the impact on the economy, such as tourism, and if risks expand, we will implement bold economic policies."
Cho added, "To enhance the response to new infectious diseases, we will expedite the passage of the Quarantine Act," noting, "The amendment to the Quarantine Act, proposed by Representative Ki Dong-min, focuses on strengthening the quarantine system."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
