Lee Jun-seok "Han Dong-hoon Should Return Satellite Party Subsidies First"

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform New Party, called the People Power Party's demand to return the operating subsidy in the form of donating 'special party fees' to national organizations "an absurd story."

After the Reform New Party's Supreme Council meeting on the morning of the 28th, Lee told reporters, "The methodology suggested by Chairman Han Dong-hoon is a forced fabrication and differs from the story of the National Election Commission," clarifying his stance.

He added, "Which party would ask its members to pay party fees to cover frozen state subsidies? It is practically inapplicable," and said, "Rather, it is important for Chairman Han Dong-hoon to clearly express his intention here on how to return subsidies to unconstitutional satellite parties."

Earlier, the Reform New Party met the criterion of having more than five incumbent lawmakers by joining the New Future Party and received 660 million won in operating subsidies for the first quarter of this year from the Central Election Commission. However, just a week after the merger, they split from the New Future Party, sparking controversy over so-called subsidy 'eat-and-run.' In response, Han Dong-hoon, emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, pressured the Reform New Party to return the subsidies, saying, "There is also a way to collect party fees and donate them."

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform New Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly on the 28th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@