"Sudden Move by Ruling Party to Mobilize Audit Board Over Tax Shortfall"
"President Lee Ordered End to Policy Audits... Blatant Double Standard"
The People Power Party criticized the Democratic Party of Korea for announcing its intention to request an audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection regarding the tax revenue shortfall and overall fiscal management during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, stating, "The ruling party leadership, blinded by baseless attacks and criticism, has turned the president into a 'laughable figure' who cannot distinguish between right and wrong due to their excessive ambition."
Park Sunghoon, chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, stated in a commentary on the 25th, "Just one month ago, President Lee Jaemyung instructed, 'Do not harass public officials with policy audits,' and ordered the abolition of 'policy audits' by the Board of Audit and Inspection."
Chief spokesperson Park explained, "The president's instruction was intended to prevent indiscriminate pursuit of accountability for the previous administration's policies," adding, "Yet suddenly, the Democratic Party is using the tax revenue shortfall as a pretext to mobilize the Board of Audit and Inspection to thoroughly investigate the previous administration's 'entire budget projects.' This is a blatant double standard."
He pointed out that despite President Lee's directive to abolish policy audits, the ruling party is now pushing for a comprehensive audit of the previous administration, resulting in a contradictory stance.
Chief spokesperson Park continued, "On top of this, the Democratic Party's policy committee is reportedly considering filing complaints and lawsuits, claiming that the previous administration's fiscal management was a 'failure,'" adding, "This is a malicious distortion that frames the global economic downturn and post-pandemic aftereffects-challenges faced by all countries-as if they were failures unique to the previous administration."
He further emphasized, "What is even more absurd is that, while drawing a line by saying they need to 'think it over' regarding the introduction of a 3% fiscal rule for the managed fiscal balance, they glorify their own irresponsible fiscal expansion, yet portray the previous administration's tax revenue shortfall as being at the level of a crime."
Chief spokesperson Park concluded, "Ultimately, before the Lee Jaemyung administration embarks on a full-scale expansionary fiscal policy, this is nothing more than an attempt to preemptively shift the blame onto the previous administration," adding, "The Democratic Party should not be solely fixated on 'spending money' to regain power, but should return to genuine politics for the people's livelihood."
Previously, Han Jeongae, chairperson of the Democratic Party's policy committee, stated at a '2024 Fiscal Year Settlement Review Press Conference' held at the National Assembly the previous day, "An unprecedented tax revenue shortfall has occurred, and the measures taken to cover it have resulted in losses to the national treasury," announcing plans to request an audit of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's fiscal management and to consider filing reports with investigative agencies.
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