Ruling and Opposition Parties Trade Blame Over Livelihood Issues on Eve of Chuseok

"Obstructionism" vs "Populism"

On the day before Chuseok, the ruling and opposition parties engaged in a blame game over issues affecting people's livelihoods, such as the rise in everyday living costs.

Park Jihye, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, stated at a National Assembly briefing on the 5th, "There can be no division between the ruling and opposition parties when it comes to reviving the economy and supporting people's livelihoods. The People Power Party must move away from indiscriminate obstructionist politics aimed at political strife."

On the 5th, ahead of the major national holiday Chuseok, gift sets of pears are being sold at Hanaro Mart Yangjae Branch in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung aymsdream@

Spokesperson Park added, "President Lee Jaemyung, in his Chuseok holiday message, presented policy directions focused on 'national unity' and 'restoring growth.' The National Assembly must work together with the President's determination." She continued, "For the future of the Republic of Korea, we must move beyond politics of conflict and toward politics of unity for the people. Only through stable governance and responsible politics can the People Power Party truly become a public party."

On the other hand, Choi Sujin, chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, said in a commentary on the same day, "Ahead of Chuseok, prices across the board for everyday food items have soared, but the Lee Jaemyung administration is blaming it on unfair business practices by companies. They are focusing only on blaming others instead of accurately diagnosing the reality."

Chief spokesperson Choi stated, "The public cannot help but feel uneasy about the President's economic perspective, which fails to properly understand the basic principles of a market economy. Populist policies such as livelihood coupons are the fundamental cause of skyrocketing prices."

She went on to say, "What the public wants is not showy coupons, but tangible price stability that can be felt at the grocery store. The government must present fundamental measures that can genuinely stabilize the prices of everyday food items for ordinary citizens."

According to the "September Consumer Price Trends" report released on the 2nd, last month's consumer price index rose by 2.1% compared to the same period last year. In particular, food prices saw significant increases: bread rose by 6.5%, coffee by 15.6%, domestic beef by 4.8%, pork by 6.3%, and mackerel by 10.7%.