Choi Jae-hyung: "Nationwide Disaster Relief Fund is a Political Vote-Buying Act"... Launches Full-Scale Livelihood Campaign

Former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung, a presidential candidate from the People Power Party, is talking with merchants at a small business owners' meeting held at a restaurant in Itaewon World Food Culture Street, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 1st. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] Choi Jae-hyung, former head of the Board of Audit and Inspection and a presidential candidate from the People Power Party, strongly criticized the nationwide disaster relief fund, calling it "an act of buying votes with taxes."

On the 1st, Choi, at a small business owners' meeting held in the Itaewon Food Culture Street in Seoul, stated, "I think promising disaster relief funds to the entire population is an act of vote-buying," and added, "Buying votes with taxpayers' money is absolutely unacceptable." This was the first time Choi met small business owners on site. It appears that he will embark on a full-scale livelihood campaign through this meeting.

He showed empathy while directly listening to the voices of small business owners. At a press meeting after the gathering, Choi said, "After visiting the Itaewon site, I felt that the pain experienced by self-employed people is much more severe than I had thought," and added, "Self-employed people can be considered the biggest victims of COVID-19 quarantine measures, but I came to believe that balanced compensation has not been provided to these victims."

He continued, "Providing the same amount of money to everyone under the name of relief funds, regardless of the reason, cannot escape criticism as a political act of vote-buying," and emphasized, "Although government resources are limited, I believe we must focus on those who have suffered damage and establish a truly fair compensation system, and I will proceed accordingly."

Choi also pointed out the government's quarantine system as unreasonable. He said, "I do not understand managing the number of people during the day and evening," and added, "Since the main business hours differ by industry, if operating hours are uniformly set and business is restricted accordingly, that is a desk-bound administration that does not understand reality. Business hours should be operated flexibly to allow basic operations according to actual business hours."