"Maintain Basic Courtesy and Dignity Toward the Opposing Party"
On the 23rd, Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, responded to Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea's proposal for a discussion on inheritance tax reform by saying, "There is not even a shred of value in directly answering the rude public inquiry from Lee, whose entire life is a fraud and crime."
At a press conference held at the National Assembly that day, Floor Leader Kwon stated, "The public also clearly understands why the inheritance tax reduction or the increase in the inheritance deduction limit is being made."
People Power Party Floor Leader Kwon Seong-dong is holding a press briefing on current issues at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 23rd. Photo by Yonhap News
Earlier, Lee shared a post by Democratic Party lawmaker Lim Kwang-hyun, who proposed a public debate on inheritance tax reform to Floor Leader Kwon, saying, "Are you still attached to tax cuts for the super-rich? Instead of lying behind the scenes, if you are truly proud and confident, let's have a public debate."
In response, Floor Leader Kwon said, "No matter how much Lee is a criminal defendant, as the leader of a legitimate political party, speaking so rudely about the opposing party reflects his character," adding, "As the leader of a political party, I am notifying him to maintain basic courtesy and dignity toward the opposing party." He also added that he welcomes debate proposals between lawmakers of similar standing, referring to the Democratic Party lawmaker Lim's proposal.
The People Power Party criticized Lee for framing the party's inheritance tax reform efforts as a 'tax cut for the rich.' Song Eon-seok, chairman of the National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee, issued a statement that day, saying, "The People Power Party has consistently advocated for expanding inheritance tax deductions to ease the burden on the middle class, aiming to reduce the overall tax burden on the economy, including the middle class, low-income earners, and businesses," and rebutted, "To simply dismiss the tax rate adjustment as a tax cut for the rich is misleading the public."
Yoon Hee-sook, director of the Yeouido Institute, also wrote on her social media, "Lee is deceiving the public by trying to frame the opposing party as giving tax cuts to the rich," and criticized, "Following judicial fraud such as impersonating a prosecutor and delaying trials, ideological fraud by falsely claiming conservatism and insulting progressivism, now he is committing policy fraud as well. His entire life is a fraud."
Earlier, Lee Jong-bae, deputy spokesperson of the People Power Party, said in a commentary, "Our country's highest inheritance tax rate, including a management premium, is 60%, higher than any advanced country. When a company is passed on to a son, only 40% remains," and questioned, "In such a country, can companies survive and jobs be created with peace of mind?"
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