Opposition, 'Nationwide 250,000 Won' Forced Passage in Public Administration Committee... Possible Plenary Session Approval as Early as 25th (Comprehensive)

Payment with Local Love Gift Certificates
Ruling Party Criticizes "Lee Jae-myung Constitutional Law" and Walks Out Completely

The National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee on the 18th approved the "Special Measures Act for the Payment of 2024 Livelihood Recovery Support Funds" (the law to provide 250,000 KRW to all citizens) promoted by the Democratic Party of Korea and forwarded it to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.

On the 18th, members of the People Power Party protested Chairman Shin Jeong-hoon about the unilateral agenda progress during the full meeting of the Public Administration and Security Committee held at the National Assembly. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The Public Administration and Security Committee conducted a joint review of the "2024 Special Measures Act to Overcome the Livelihood Crisis," proposed as a party bill by the Democratic Party, and the "Special Act for the Payment of Livelihood Recovery Support Funds," proposed by Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Young-kyo. Since no subcommittee was formed for the review, the bills were examined in a plenary session.

The special measures act passed that day stipulates that the state and local governments shall provide the necessary administrative and financial support for the payment of livelihood recovery support funds, and that the support funds shall be paid to all citizens in the form of local love gift certificates.

The amount varies between 250,000 and 350,000 KRW depending on the payment target, with the exact amount to be determined by presidential decree. The act will take effect three months after its promulgation. The payment date is the date the act takes effect, and the gift certificates must be used within four months after payment.

The Democratic Party and other opposition lawmakers passed the special measures act unilaterally, and the People Power Party protested the opposition’s forced passage by walking out. Jo Eun-hee, the ruling party secretary of the Public Administration and Security Committee from the People Power Party, criticized, "Is this the people's mandate or Lee Jae-myung's mandate?" and added, "The essence of this special law is nothing but the 'Lee Jae-myung Constitutional Law,' which aims to glorify only Lee Jae-myung by borrowing national debt with taxpayers' money."

Another lawmaker from the same party, Bae Jun-young, pointed out, "The livelihood recovery support fund is a livelihood contraction support fund that only causes adverse effects rather than recovery," and warned, "If you rush like this to forcibly pass it on the 25th plenary session, it will only leave a dishonorable record in constitutional history."

Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Sang-sik rebutted, "We are not giving the support funds to Lee Jae-myung personally," and said, "The livelihood recovery support fund is fast, direct, and stimulates consumption." Another lawmaker from the same party, Chae Hyun-il, argued, "If the government had done well, the Democratic Party would not have proposed the special measures act," and insisted, "It must naturally pass as the people's mandate."

Shin Jeong-hoon, chair of the Public Administration and Security Committee from the Democratic Party, restrained ruling party lawmakers by saying, "Saying that former leader Lee Jae-myung ordered this is a statement that damages the dignity of the committee members. Let's respect each other." He also said to the ruling party lawmakers, "Isn't it wrong to disrupt the chairman's meeting progress by booing (the Japanese-style expression 'yaji')?"

In response, People Power Party lawmakers protested, saying, "Since this is a law proposed by former leader Lee Jae-myung, it is rightly called the 'Lee Jae-myung Law,'" and "It should be discussed first in the subcommittee," and all walked out 1 hour and 15 minutes after the meeting began.

The Democratic Party plans to hold a plenary session on the 25th or the 1st of next month to process the bill if it passes the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.