Yoon Hee-sook "Agree with Lee Nak-yeon's '30 Million Won at Discharge Proposal'... Too Valuable to Label as Populism"

Former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon (left) and People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Hee-sook (right).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon proposed "providing 30 million won in social start-up funds upon military discharge," and Yoon Hee-sook, a member of the People Power Party, expressed agreement, calling it a "noteworthy topic," while also stating that "more detailed discussions are necessary."

Earlier, on the 5th, in a YouTube talk on 'Lee Nak-yeon TV,' the former leader suggested providing cash support instead of "military service bonus points" to men who have completed their military service. He said, "I hope that men who were conscripted could receive about 30 million won as social start-up funds upon discharge," proposing that conscripted men be supported financially until they find employment after discharge. He added, "How about arranging military service assignments that help them in the fields they want to pursue after discharge, so that military service can be beneficial in their lives?"

In response, on the 7th, Representative Yoon mentioned the "social start-up funds for discharged men" proposed by Lee on her Facebook, calling it a "socially noteworthy topic."

On the 7th, Yoon Hee-sook, a member of the People Power Party, expressed her opinion on former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon's proposal of "30 million won support upon military discharge" on her Facebook.
[Photo by Facebook capture]

Representative Yoon first said, "Among the proposals made to win the votes of men in their 20s after the April 7 by-elections, the most shocking was the volunteer military system." She stated, "There is already a broad consensus that it is time to consider a volunteer military system and to find ways to implement it without weakening national defense, but the volunteer military system should be addressed as a national defense issue," emphasizing, "It should not be used as a solution to gender conflicts or as a tool for vote hunting."

Then, Representative Yoon shared her thoughts on Lee's proposal for "social start-up funds for discharged men." She said, "Lee proposed 30 million won in social start-up funds for conscripted soldiers, saying that viewing the military as a solution to gender issues is inappropriate and that the sense of deprivation and victim mentality felt by both men and women should be considered," but added, "Since there is no mention of the basis for the amount proposed or how the financial burden is predicted, it will be difficult to avoid criticism of populism."

She continued, "Nevertheless, (Lee's proposal) is too valuable to be lumped together with other populist proposals thrown out recklessly to win the hearts of young people."

She explained, "It is worth discussing in a broad social forum how to reflect changes in the times and the opportunity costs of young people, how much to reflect the wage gap with entry-level workers, how to consider the costs of food, clothing, and shelter in the military, and whether to phase the support considering fairness with early discharged soldiers and financial burden."

She concluded, "Isn't it a true effort for an inclusive society to find a rational and sustainable solution that does not ignore the justified sense of deprivation among young people and ensures that no one feels unfairly treated?"

Meanwhile, along with Lee's proposal to provide 30 million won upon military discharge, leading ruling party presidential candidates such as Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung's "10 million won for world travel" and former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun's "100 million won bank account" have been flooding cash pledges aimed at the youth. The opposition party criticized these as "malignant populism," and some ruling party lawmakers also expressed concerns, calling it a "vague giveaway policy competition."