"Democrats Must Become a Pragmatic Party, Not an Ideological One"
"Comprehensive Real Estate Tax Is Patchy to Achieve Its Purpose"
Gominjeong, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, who was urged to 'leave the party' by hardline supporters after advocating for the abolition of the Comprehensive Real Estate Holding Tax (종합부동산세, Jonghap Budongsanse or 종부세, Jongbuse), responded by saying, "I hope for healthy discussions rather than hateful words."
On the 26th, Gominjeong posted on social media (SNS), "The Comprehensive Real Estate Holding Tax has become a patchwork of various exceptions and relief measures over time, making it difficult to achieve its goals of enhancing tax burden equity and balanced development of local finances." She diagnosed the Moon Jae-in administration's real estate policy as a failure, based on the constant assumption of desire.
She also defined real estate as both a market good and a necessity, emphasizing, "In areas where it functions as a market good, policies are needed to eradicate speculative behavior, and in areas where it serves as a necessity, policies should reduce the tax burden." She added, "Although it is impossible to satisfy everything, the Comprehensive Real Estate Holding Tax, which has lasted for 20 years, now needs a comprehensive redesign through a fierce public debate process with national consensus."
"We should not regard the Comprehensive Real Estate Holding Tax as a sacred sanctuary that must be strictly protected, but rather look at it from a practical perspective to determine what institutional design is necessary to help younger generations achieve their dream of owning a home," she said. She mentioned the abolition of the tax because "I believe the Democratic Party should be a pragmatic party, not an ideological one. Strengthening the social safety net through rational redistribution of wealth is something we must continue to pursue."
In an interview with Shindonga released on the 24th, Gominjeong expressed her personal opinion that "it would be better to abolish the Comprehensive Real Estate Holding Tax." She said, "It is necessary to carefully weigh what is gained by maintaining the tax and what is gained by abolishing it," adding, "If the goal is to increase tax revenue, then it is time to consider alternatives to the Comprehensive Real Estate Holding Tax." She also noted, "Because of the tax, the Democratic Party has been symbolized as a force attacking people who own homes and are wealthy."
Gominjeong's remarks, who is not classified as part of the party's 'pro-Lee Jae-myung faction,' drew fierce criticism from the Democratic Party's hardline supporters, known as 'Gaeddal' (개딸), who said things like "Abolishing the Comprehensive Real Estate Holding Tax is the wind of the Yoon Seok-youl administration" and "Don't shake the party, leave." Pro-Lee YouTuber Kim Yong-min also harshly criticized on Facebook, saying, "It is unfortunate that there is someone like Gominjeong in the Democratic Party who thinks politics is easy and possible without philosophy."
The call for abolishing the Comprehensive Real Estate Holding Tax was first made by Park Chan-dae, the floor leader, before Gominjeong. In a media interview on the 10th, Park said, "No matter how expensive the house is, if it is a single home and actually occupied, it should be exempt from taxation," highlighting the need to exempt actual residents with one home from the tax. He added, "The Moon Jae-in administration pushed real estate taxation ideologically without considering public acceptance and experienced failure," and said, "The Democratic Party also needs to adjust its perspective."
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