Presidential Office Responds to Opposition's Criticism of 'Minsheng Debate Key Election' as "Fundamentally Flawed Claim"

Announcement of Not Only Short-Term but Also Long-Term Policies
Opposition's Claim of '900 Trillion Won Budget Consumption'
Refuted as "Mostly Voluntary Private Investment Projects"

The Presidential Office on the 7th rebutted opposition parties' criticism that the Livelihood Discussion Forum is a government-led election campaign, calling it "a fundamentally incorrect claim." They stated that the forum was meticulously prepared in advance to implement the pledges made by President Yoon Suk-yeol during the presidential election period, and that not only short-term policies but also mid- to long-term policies are being announced, making the opposition's claims far from the truth.

A Presidential Office official responded to reporters at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the afternoon, saying, "If we were to consider votes and push policies only that could achieve results within a short period or within this administration, we would only pursue such limited policies. But we do not engage in such unrestricted policies," when asked whether the Livelihood Discussion Forum was election interference and if there were plans to pause it until the general election.

The official asserted that the Livelihood Discussion Forum is not a sudden election-driven move. He said, "Before the Livelihood Discussion Forum, President Yoon held meetings with various occupational and citizen groups such as self-reliant youth, market merchants, and MZ generation young police officers, communicating directly on the ground. Especially, I understand that the opposition has repeatedly urged President Yoon at various high-level meetings to 'take care of livelihood.' Therefore, President Yoon is diligently attending to livelihood issues now," emphasizing this point.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding the opposition's attack that 900 trillion won was squandered through the Livelihood Discussion Forum, the official criticized that they failed to distinguish between government fiscal projects and private investments. He stated, "Most of the investments are voluntary private investments or private sector projects. They are often unrelated to central government finances," adding, "When looking at the total investment amount, only about 10% or less is funded by central government finances."

In the case of the semiconductor mega cluster, which involves an investment of 622 trillion won, most of it is made by private companies. Although the government advances child support payments, the amount is recovered from the spouse who fails to comply with child support obligations, so no additional fiscal resources are needed. The Presidential Office explained that the opposition distorted the facts.

They also explained that many of the policies announced are long-term plans prepared for the country's future, not short-term election-driven policies. One of the main topics at the Livelihood Discussion Forum held in Incheon that day was the Metropolitan Area Express Railway (GTX)-B, which is scheduled for completion in 2030, after President Yoon's term.

The official directly addressed the opposition, saying, "In this current situation of high inflation and high interest rates, many people are facing various life difficulties. I hope the opposition will also show support in working with the government to prepare for the future."

When asked by reporters how long the Livelihood Discussion Forum will continue, the official replied, "It will continue regardless of elections and even after elections. Many people have also inquired about regions. If it is a place where we can listen to the voices of the people and where we can announce very meaningful policies, once it is sufficiently matured, we can hold the Livelihood Discussion Forum anywhere."

Meanwhile, the Presidential Office stated that it was unaware that the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) had issued a travel ban during the process of appointing former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop as ambassador to Australia. The official said, "We have no knowledge whatsoever of the CIO's investigation status, and neither the Presidential Office nor President Yoon can inquire about or be informed of the investigation status, as it is legally prohibited."

When asked whether they were considering replacing the ambassador to Australia, the official replied, "I do not know of any discussions taking place regarding the ambassador's appointment after that."