Park Hong-geun "Party and Government, Heating Cost Dilemma... Reckless in Emergency Situation"

"Black Cat, White Cat, It's Not the Time to Choose"
Dangjeong Must Act Swiftly and Cohesively

[Asia Economy Reporters Oh Ju-yeon and Park Jun-i] On the 2nd, Park Hong-geun, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, harshly criticized the government and ruling party's dilemma over heating cost support, saying, "Is this the time for the government and ruling party, who should feel the greatest responsibility in the current situation, to make frivolous remarks like 'Can we follow the opposition party's measures?'" He called it "irresponsible."

On this day, Park made these remarks during a policy coordination meeting held at the National Assembly in the morning, stating, "There were reports that the government and ruling party are in a dilemma over the skyrocketing heating cost support measures."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Park said, "President Yoon Seok-yeol initially instructed support for vulnerable groups' heating costs as proposed by the Democratic Party, and then ordered to also consider support for the middle class as suggested by Representative Lee, so at times like this, the party and government must act in unison and swiftly."

He pointed out, "Within the ruling party, there is concern that if the government issues a belated measure while Representative Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party have already taken the lead on supplementary budgets for heating cost support and the introduction of a windfall tax for the middle class, it would look awkward. While I understand the ruling party's position of calculating votes without regard for people's livelihoods, it is truly irresponsible."

He also emphasized, "There can be no separate measures for the ruling and opposition parties when it comes to people's livelihoods," adding, "Now is not the time to distinguish between a black cat or a white cat; this is truly an emergency situation for people's livelihoods." He further stated, "I hope the government and ruling party will not reject opposition policies blindly or miss the timing just because they are opposition policies without any alternatives."

Park urged, "Along with the Democratic Party's proposal for an urgent supplementary budget for people's livelihoods, actively consider the windfall tax, flexible rates for individual consumption tax, and the application of income deductions for heating costs."