Lee In-young "Proposes Emergency Meeting Between Ruling and Opposition Parties... Also Recommends Emergency Financial Order to Cheong Wa Dae"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Lee In-young, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, proposed an urgent meeting between ruling and opposition floor leaders to the United Future Party on the 7th to swiftly allocate the budget for emergency disaster relief funds.

At the current issues inspection meeting held at the National Assembly that morning, Floor Leader Lee stated, "The emergency disaster relief fund will not be a vote-buying type cash handout but a timely support for all citizens struggling due to COVID-19," adding, "We plan to convene an extraordinary session immediately after the general election to process the supplementary budget starting from the 16th."

He continued, "We will speed up to make payments possible within April if possible," and said, "To this end, I propose an urgent meeting between ruling and opposition floor leaders to the United Future Party." Regarding Hwang Kyo-ahn, the leader of the United Future Party’s proposal to provide 500,000 won in disaster relief funds to all citizens, he also expressed a welcoming stance, saying, "Although late, it is very fortunate."

The day before, the Democratic Party decided to provide emergency disaster relief funds of 1 million won per four-person household to all citizens regardless of income or region. This plan maintains the originally proposed payment amount of 1 million won per four-person household by the government but expands the eligible recipients. Since increasing the supplementary budget is difficult without opposition cooperation, Floor Leader Lee’s proposal is interpreted as an effort to gain such cooperation.

Floor Leader Lee also stated that the "emergency financial command authority" could be recommended to President Moon Jae-in. He said, "Kim Jong-in, the United Future Party’s election committee chairman, and Leader Hwang unanimously advocated for the activation of the emergency financial command," adding, "The Democratic Party has refrained from requesting activation to avoid political conflict due to some legal reviews stating conditions were not met, but since the chairman and leader of the main opposition party agree, there is no reason to hesitate in requesting the activation."

He added, "Since the success of the emergency disaster relief fund depends on speed, the Democratic Party will recommend the emergency financial command to the president as soon as the opposition party’s official position is confirmed."