Call to Break Away from Yoon Seok-youl's Practices
Active Advocacy for Local Issues, Debt Relief, and Budget Equity
As the National Assembly Special Committee on Budget and Accounts began its review of the second supplementary budget proposal, Im Mia, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker (Uiseong, Cheongsong, Yeongdeok, Uljin), strongly emphasized, "This supplementary budget should not be a mere numerical adjustment but must serve as the starting point for the Lee Jae-myung administration to restore the broken livelihoods," and added, "We must break away from the Yoon Seok-youl administration's habitual budget execution methods."
Im Mia, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker (Uiseong, Cheongsong, Yeongdeok, Uljin), is speaking at the National Assembly. Office of Im Mia
At the plenary session of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts held on July 1, Im Mia specifically pointed out the need to allocate budgets focusing on local issues and livelihoods, insisting that the Lee Jae-myung administration's philosophy of 'people-centered governance' should be clearly reflected in the supplementary budget.
First, Im Mia mentioned the issue of relocating the Daegu water intake source, stating, "The project to utilize the Andong Dam water intake, which was promoted by former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, caused conflict between regions. The plan to relocate and diversify the Gumi water intake, which Daegu, Gumi, and Andong agreed upon in 2022, should be reconsidered."
She urged the preparation of balanced alternatives, saying, "Unilaterally pushing forward without considering the opinions on the ground and in the region will only harm regional coexistence."
She also raised criticism regarding the structural problems of the agricultural product discount support program. Im Mia pointed out, "Seventy-seven percent of the budget for agricultural discount coupons is concentrated in large supermarkets, while only twenty-three percent goes to traditional markets."
She further noted, "Even to receive a discount at traditional markets, people must install a smartphone app and purchase agricultural discount vouchers. This makes it difficult for digitally marginalized groups and the elderly to benefit," highlighting the reality of the situation.
The issue of the Ministry of Economy and Finance's allocation of local bond acquisition budgets was also raised. Im Mia criticized, "The local bond acquisition budget is being concentrated in so-called 'financially affluent areas' such as Seoul and Seongnam, seriously undermining the basic purpose of the supplementary budget, which is fiscal balance." In response, the Ministry of Economy and Finance expressed its intention to make corrections.
She also called for a fundamental review of the Yoon Seok-youl administration's unilateral operation of quota tariffs.
Im Mia strongly criticized, "According to the analysis by the National Assembly Budget Office, the quota tariffs implemented by the Yoon Seok-youl administration have little effect on stabilizing the prices of agricultural and livestock products. In a situation where both the perceived impact for farmers and the policy effectiveness are lacking, this policy only increases the burden on the public."
Regarding the 'batch write-off of long-term overdue debts for small business owners and vulnerable groups' project included in the supplementary budget proposal, she also urged that the realities faced by farmers and fishermen be reflected.
Im Mia proposed, "Farmers and fishermen should also be included as targets for debt adjustment, and a separate design is needed that takes into account the unique debt structures, such as those from the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, and policy funds."
In addition, regarding the government's disaster recovery support system for areas affected by wildfires, she emphasized, "The government must actively inform and guide residents about the recovery funds and various support items they can receive. Meticulous administration is needed to prevent disaster support blind spots caused by information gaps."
Finally, Im Mia stated, "As the Budget Subcommittee officially begins, I will do my utmost until the end to ensure that the essential budgets needed for the recovery of livelihoods are included, so that the National Assembly can serve as a priming water for the restoration of people's lives."
"This supplementary budget should not be a mere numerical adjustment but must serve as the starting point for the Lee Jae-myung administration to restore the broken livelihoods," he said, strongly emphasizing that "we must break away from the Yoon Seok-youl administration's habitual budget execution methods."
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