Sung Il-jong: "No Budget Compromise if Opposition's Lee Sang-min is Dismissed or Impeached"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] As the ruling and opposition parties have formed a 2+2 consultative body to negotiate the next year's budget bill, Seong Il-jong, the Policy Committee Chairman of the People Power Party and one of the four members of the consultative body, stated that there will be no budget negotiations if the Democratic Party processes a motion to dismiss or impeach Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min.

On the 5th, Seong appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and responded to the host's question, "What would you do if the Democratic Party reports the motion to dismiss or impeach on the 8th and forces a vote on the 9th?" by saying, "In that case, the budget bill will simply not be processed. The government's consent is necessary," indicating his stance.

He predicted that the Democratic Party might even process the impeachment motion against Minister Lee. Seong said, "Currently, there is a motion to dismiss, but it could escalate to impeachment. Since Representative Lee Jae-myung's judicial risks are becoming quite real, I think they are prioritizing protection from prosecution."

Both sides have yet to narrow their differences not only on the budget but also on subsidiary budget bills such as corporate tax. In particular, the opposition criticizes the ruling party's proposed corporate tax cuts as "tax cuts for the rich." Regarding this, Seong said, "It should not be labeled as tax cuts for the rich unconditionally. During the Reaganomics era, lowering corporate tax led to investments and job creation, which helped the U.S. economy recover through a virtuous cycle," adding, "I see these issues (corporate tax cuts) as philosophical matters, and I hope for cooperation."

Regarding the Cargo Solidarity strike, he raised his voice, saying, "If logistics stop now, South Korea's economy will be in serious trouble. I hope the Cargo Solidarity will reconsider their position on this matter." He also expressed concern that if no agreement is reached between the ruling and opposition parties by the end of the year, the Safe Freight Rate System could also expire.

On the Safe Freight Rate System, the Democratic Party has expressed its intention to pass related laws unilaterally. In response, Seong said, "If that were the case, why couldn't the Democratic Party solve this issue when they were in power?" and added, "All governments have been dragged around by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions so far, but the country should not continue like this." He also clearly stated that he cannot accept the Democratic Party's proposed Yellow Envelope Act and amendments to the Broadcasting Act, calling them "unacceptable."