United Future Party Prioritizes 'Minsheng'... Kim Jong-in and Joo Ho-young Demand Special Session to Draft Supplementary Budget

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Ji-eun and Lim Chun-han] The United Future Party has taken steps to address public welfare by demanding the convening of an extraordinary session of the National Assembly next week to draft a supplementary budget (supplementary appropriations).

Joo Ho-young, the floor leader of the United Future Party, said at the floor strategy meeting on the 14th, "We plan to request the convening of an extraordinary session of the National Assembly starting next week to faithfully conduct the settlement session."

He stated, "The national debt has exceeded 1,700 trillion won, and the fiscal deficit for the first half of this year alone is 110.5 trillion won. Due to the unexpected adverse factor of COVID-19, expenditure factors have increased and revenue conditions have worsened, but we will carefully and meticulously examine whether there have been any unnecessary expansion factors during this period."

He added, "Since the situation is worrisome with the financial conditions expected to worsen further due to typhoons and floods, we will devise measures to minimize any wasteful spending, even if we have to spend during this settlement session."

Following this, Kim Sung-won, the chief deputy floor leader, said, "The entire country suffered great damage due to the recent record-breaking monsoon rains, and the United Future Party promised to visit the affected areas from the early stages, prepare support measures for damage recovery including the drafting of an emergency supplementary budget, and realize disaster relief funds," adding, "Today, to keep that promise, we submitted a request to convene an extraordinary session in August and will urge the government and ruling party to decide on the supplementary budget."

Deputy Floor Leader Kim raised his voice, saying, "For some reason, unlike the last general election, perhaps because there is no election now, the government and ruling party are hesitating to draft the supplementary budget," and urged, "I hope they will immediately cooperate in drafting the supplementary budget to respond urgently to this critical situation."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Jong-in, the emergency committee chairman of the United Future Party, also said at a meeting with Garak Market merchants on the morning of the same day, "Regardless of party lines, the political circle must overcome the flood damage as soon as possible and normalize everything," adding, "Since the government and ruling party share the current situation awareness, they will do their best to restore by quickly allocating the budget or drafting a fourth supplementary budget."