[Examining Election Promises] Strengthening Infectious Disease Response System... Flood of Support Measures for Small Business Owners

Disease Control Headquarters' Promotion and Strengthening to 'Cheong (廳)'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Ahead of the April 15 general election, both ruling and opposition parties have rushed to propose pledges to strengthen infectious disease response systems, such as for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Currently, the public's interest in infectious disease measures is higher than ever. In addition, a large number of support measures for small business owners and self-employed individuals, who have been directly hit by the COVID-19 crisis, have been announced.

Major political parties have promised to upgrade and strengthen the functions of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The Democratic Party of Korea stated that it would elevate the KCDC to an agency-level organization to secure expertise and independence, significantly enhancing its status and role. They also pledged to lead vaccine and treatment development by establishing a specialized infectious disease research institute and to expand specialized infectious disease hospitals. The United Future Party plans to have the Blue House take overall command of protecting citizens' lives and safety and to make the KCDC an independent Korea Disease Control Agency. Other measures include strengthening the roles and functions of screening clinics and establishing regional specialized infectious disease hospitals.

The Justice Party proposed the establishment of a Ministry of Public Health and new Korea Disease Control Agency and Safety and Health Agency. The plan is for the Ministry of Public Health to integrate health policies across ministries and serve as a crisis management control tower. The People's Party promised to expand and reorganize the KCDC into the Korea Disease Prevention and Control Agency to enable continuous emergency responses to new infectious diseases. In particular, they emphasized appointing an expert in the quarantine field as the head of the Disease Prevention and Control Agency and granting full authority over quarantine command and measures, including raising the infectious disease crisis level, isolating and managing infected individuals, and controlling infected areas.

All parties also presented support plans for small business owners and the self-employed. The Democratic Party plans to increase the issuance scale of neighborhood market-exclusive currencies such as Onnuri gift certificates and local love gift certificates to 10.5 trillion won by 2024 and to additionally expand small business guarantee supply by 1.5 trillion won annually from 2021 to support small business enterprises that have difficulty raising funds privately. Furthermore, they will write off non-performing loans held by policy financial institutions. The United Future Party intends to raise the simplified taxpayer application threshold from the current 48 million won to 100 million won to ease tax burdens and to pursue sector- and size-specific application of the minimum wage in response to the Moon Jae-in administration's rapid minimum wage increases.

The Minsaeng Party proposed temporary deferrals or tax cuts on corporate tax, income tax, and value-added tax for small business owners and the self-employed, raising the simplified taxpayer limit, and direct subsidies for a portion of rent. The Justice Party announced plans to enact the "Neighborhood Revitalization Three Acts" (support for shopping districts, local love gift certificates, public delivery apps) and to strengthen regulations on large-scale stores by changing the registration system for opening or changing such stores to a local government permit system to protect neighborhood markets. The People's Party pledged to raise the simplified taxpayer threshold to 100 million won annually and to temporarily exempt value-added tax for sales under 200 million won.