Yoon Seok-yeol: "The ruling party's plan to fund disaster relief with excess tax revenue? A 'tax trick' scheme"

Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, is delivering a greeting at the current affairs briefing held at the National Assembly on the 8th. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, raised his voice toward the Democratic Party of Korea, saying, "They must immediately stop attempting to use national finances as political funds." He criticized the Democratic Party's plan to reflect excess tax revenue in next year's budget to secure funds for the nationwide disaster relief payments proposed by Democratic presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, calling it a 'trick' and so-called 'tax plundering.'

On the 9th, Yoon stated through Facebook, "National finances are not political funds."

Yoon said, "The Democratic Party is reportedly considering a tax payment deferral plan to secure the budget for nationwide disaster relief payments. According to the National Finance Act, if there is surplus tax revenue, it should be primarily used for debt repayment and local government grants," adding, "However, since it is difficult to secure funds for disaster relief payments with this year's tax revenue, they are using a 'trick.'"

He continued, "Nationwide disaster relief payments have been repeatedly criticized as malignant populism. Nevertheless, the Democratic Party is cleverly adjusting the timing of tax payments to try to distribute money by any means," and pointed out, "There is nothing to say even if it is called 'tax plundering.'"

Yoon said, "A politician's philosophy is revealed in how they collect and use money," adding, "If they take money from the right pocket of the people and put it into the left pocket, collecting political gains as a commission in the process, this is nothing but malignant populism."

He emphasized, "The standard for managing national finances should be national needs, not political gains," and added, "More should go to those in greater difficulty, and it should reach those in more urgent need faster. National finances must be strictly managed according to these principles."