[President-Political Dialogue] Sim Sang-jeong "Similar to Early Wartime... Need to Consider Transition to Mobilization System"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] Sim Sang-jung, leader of the Justice Party, proposed on the 28th during the ruling and opposition party leaders' dialogue with President Moon Jae-in that "any political strife related to COVID-19 must be declared halted."

She said, "At this stage, mentioning the lockdown of China could provide justification for other countries to impose lockdowns on South Korea," adding, "The most urgent matter is to quickly contain the spread of infections originating from Shincheonji."

It has been revealed that the epicenter of the super-spreader event is Shincheonji, yet the cause and route of the infection have not been identified so far.

Leader Sim emphasized, "The President should directly order a forced investigation and search and seizure of Shincheonji church leaders, including Chairman Lee Man-hee, mobilizing all possible public authority to promptly block the causes and routes of infection among Shincheonji members."

Regarding the mask shortage crisis, she requested, "The government should take 100% public control over mask production, purchase the entire supply, and distribute them free of charge to the public."

She also argued, "The medical shortage situation is similar to the early stages of a wartime crisis," and suggested, "It is worth considering transitioning to a mobilization system for medical personnel and equipment in accordance with emergency plans."

On the supplementary budget, she pointed out that it is naturally unacceptable for it to include election-driven, populist spending.