Gwanseop Lee, Director of Policy Office, "Budget Proposal's Sound Fiscal Policy Basis, Meaningful for Future Preparation"
Lee Gwan-seop, the Chief of Policy at the Presidential Office, said regarding the “Special Prosecutor Introduction Bill Related to First Lady Kim Geon-hee,” which the Democratic Party of Korea has announced it will push through the plenary session, "I firmly believe that this bill was created with the intention of discrediting ahead of the general election."
Appearing on KBS's 'Sunday Diagnosis Live' on the same day, Lee said, "If the bill passes on the 28th and is then sent from the National Assembly to the government, we will carefully consider our position on exercising the right to request reconsideration and think about how to respond."
The special prosecutor bills that the Democratic Party plans to pass at the plenary session on the 28th include the special prosecutor bill on the stock manipulation allegations involving First Lady Kim Geon-hee and the Daejang-dong 5 Billion Club special prosecutor bill.
Regarding the sound fiscal policy stance for next year’s budget, Lee said, "It is very difficult to prepare for the future while carrying a national debt of about 1,000 trillion won," adding, "Shocks such as COVID-19, global economic conflicts, and others continue to approach, and there is no guarantee that such shocks will not occur in the future." He emphasized, "In that sense, maintaining a sound fiscal policy stance is very meaningful for preparing for the future."
Lee stated, "Maintaining a sound fiscal policy stance right before an election might be considered a foolish policy from the perspective of winning votes," but added, "Nevertheless, I believe that stabilizing prices through a sound fiscal policy can put our economy into a virtuous cycle, and we will continue to strive in that direction."
Regarding recent shrinkflation by some companies?where prices remain the same or increase while product quantities are reduced?he said, "It is not right for us to supervise and interfere with corporate activities one by one," but added, "However, for behaviors that can be seen as deceiving consumers like that, we are promoting policies that require labeling how much the product quantity has been reduced on the packaging."
Regarding the newly established Chief of Science and Technology at the Presidential Office, he said, "It seems it could be launched as early as the beginning of the year," and that the organizational structure has been settled. He added, "Rather than being an 'extra layer' (oksangok), the Chief of Science and Technology will set policy priorities and ensure good coordination of R&D projects among ministries," noting, "It is taking some time to select and find the right person." The main duties of the Chief of Science and Technology include overseeing science and technology, allocating and prioritizing R&D budgets across ministries, and focusing on AI, digital, and bio sectors.
Lee Gwansub, Chief of Policy Office at the Presidential Office, is greeting Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, at the National Assembly on the 14th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
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