[Interview] "What if President Moon had spent money at the market instead of donating?"

'Small Business Advocate' Choi Seung-jae, Future United Party Proportional Representative Elect
Will Create Welfare Law Following Small Business Basic Act... "Including Small Business Owners in Consideration for the Vulnerable"

Choi Seung-jae, elected member of the Mirae Korea Party. / Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporters Lee Ji-eun and Kim Hye-min] "Recently, disaster relief fund donations have been made by politicians from both ruling and opposition parties, led by President Moon Jae-in. I felt somewhat disappointed. The purpose of the disaster relief fund is to save small business owners, so how much better would it have been if the president had gone directly to the market and spent the money? If the funds are donated, they will return to the government budget, so when will that money actually reach the small business owners?"

Choi Seung-jae, a proportional representative-elect of the United Future Party, said in an interview with Asia Economy on the 28th, "When someone is drowning, you should throw a tube immediately; rescuing them after they have sunk to the bottom will cost more," expressing this view.

In the same context, he also emphasized the need for faster liquidity support for small business owners hit by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). He said, "Germany identified the difference in sales between this year and last year and selected small business owners whose sales decreased to provide advance payments. Our National Tax Service can know all of that, but unlike Germany, here you have to prove it yourself and have a good credit rating to get a loan," expressing regret.

Choi, a former president of the Small Business Federation, entered the United Future Party as a recruited talent in this general election and was elected as a proportional representative. Having worked hard to protect the rights and interests of small business owners, he also played a part in the passage of the 'Small Business Basic Act' in the 20th National Assembly. He plans to focus on legislating welfare laws to protect small-scale small business owners in this National Assembly as well.

He pointed out, "After years of effort, the Small Business Basic Act, which defines the identity of small business owners, was created, and as a follow-up, we intend to prepare the 'Small Business Welfare Act.' Our constitution states that 'economic weak groups should be cared for,' but when disasters strike, small business owners cannot be protected."

This is to improve the reality where small self-employed business owners must survive by taking out loans rather than receiving support funds even when facing disasters such as COVID-19. Choi said, "I want to create a welfare law that includes small business owners as disaster relief targets. Workers receive benefits from the four major insurances and employment insurance, but small business owners are excluded from welfare under the name of being entrepreneurs."

What has he, who was a member of an economic organization until recently, felt during the past month in the National Assembly? Choi said, "I used to think of the National Assembly vaguely as a 'high place' or 'a place where people who get criticized gather,' but at the same time, I had expectations. While passion is needed to reflect the opinions of small business owners encountered in real life into legislation, I am also contemplating the need to have humility to make universally valid arguments," he declared his determination.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.