Yoo Seung-min: "Democratic Party's 'Universal 250,000 Won' Special Measure Law is Unconstitutional"

"Cannot Increase Budget Without Government Consent"
"Constitutional Court Appeal, Exercise of Reconsideration Request, Must Prevent Reconsideration Resolution"
"One-time 250,000 Won, If Repeated, Basic Income"

Former People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Seung-min strongly criticized the Democratic Party's special measure law, which provides 250,000 won per citizen, as unconstitutional.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 11th, Yoo said on Facebook, "(The Democratic Party) won a landslide victory in the general election and quickly showed the height of arrogance," adding, "The principle of our constitution is that the National Assembly can reduce the budget proposed and submitted by the government, but cannot increase it without the government's consent."

He said, "If such legislation is allowed, the government's right to draft the budget guaranteed by the constitution and the government's right to consent to the National Assembly's increase will be nullified," adding, "The majority party in the National Assembly will arbitrarily engage in populism and recklessly deplete the national finances through such legislation whenever they want."

The Democratic Party held a policy briefing the day before and announced that when the 22nd National Assembly opens, it will propose the 'Special Measures Act for Overcoming the Livelihood Crisis,' which provides 250,000 won per citizen in the form of local love gift certificates.

In response, former lawmaker Yoo said, "If the Democratic Party submits this bill, the government and ruling party will naturally file a constitutional complaint, the president will exercise the right to request reconsideration, and the People Power Party must block the National Assembly's reconsideration with its 108 seats."

He continued, "The Democratic Party's intention is to blame the government and ruling party by saying, 'We tried our best to provide 250,000 won in livelihood recovery support funds to all citizens, but we couldn't because of obstruction by the Yoon Seok-yeol government and the People Power Party.'"

Yoo also raised questions about whether providing 250,000 won to all citizens is appropriate as an economic and welfare policy.

He explained, "The same cash payment has the effect of stimulating consumption among low-income groups with a high marginal propensity to consume, but the effect decreases as income rises," adding, "There is also a concern that the amount and speed of money supply expansion could further fuel high inflation."

Yoo said, "From a welfare policy perspective, it is more appropriate to concentrate on giving to those in need rather than providing 250,000 won to all citizens," adding, "Money does not fall from the sky; it is all taxpayers' money. The total required budget should be reduced, and welfare efficiency maximized."

Yoo added, "The background for this characteristic malignant populism emerging right after the general election is the intention to make the basic income advocated by Representative Lee Jae-myung a fait accompli," adding, "This time it is a one-time 250,000 won, but if this repeats, it will become basic income."

He also criticized the ruling party. He said, "They have listed basic income in their party platform and policies but have shown an absurd self-contradiction by opposing Lee Jae-myung's basic income," urging, "The People Power Party must delete the mistakenly included basic income from Article 1-1 of their party platform and policies."