President Moon: "Deep Regret Over Parliament's Delay in Reviewing Supplementary Budget... Citizens' Suffering Grows" (Update)

President Moon Directly Chairs 'Metropolitan Area Quarantine Measures Meeting' After 3 Months... Warns National Assembly Not to 'Lock the Barn After the Horse Is Lost'

President Moon Jae-in is presiding over the Cabinet meeting and the metropolitan area quarantine measures meeting at the Blue House on the 23rd. 2020.6.23 [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] President Moon Jae-in expressed his discomfort on the 23rd regarding the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation, stating, "The National Assembly has not even begun deliberations on the supplementary budget bill submitted by the government for 20 days," and added, "This is a very regrettable situation for the struggling citizens and businesses."

On the morning of the same day, President Moon held the "32nd Cabinet Meeting and Metropolitan Area Quarantine Measures Meeting" at the Blue House, saying, "This is an urgent situation where every moment counts," and warned, "The longer the supplementary budget bill is delayed, the greater the suffering of the people will be." He further emphasized, "Support that does not miss the mark is urgently needed for citizens who have lost or are at risk of losing jobs due to employment shocks, small and medium-sized business owners and companies facing financial difficulties and bankruptcy risks, and low-income and vulnerable groups who are struggling even more due to the economic crisis."

He also expressed concern, saying, "There will be setbacks in plans to advance the economic recovery timetable," and "In an already difficult economic situation, measures to revitalize the economy such as boosting domestic demand, restoring exports, promoting investment, and revitalizing local economies cannot be implemented early." He stressed, "In a situation where concerns about a second wave of the pandemic are growing, we cannot miss the timing to proactively reinforce and strengthen the quarantine system."

President Moon said, "The entire country is coming together to overcome this national crisis," and added, "If only the National Assembly cooperates, it will be a great help in overcoming the COVID-19 crisis and the economic crisis."

Regarding the operation of the National Assembly, President Moon stated, "It is solely a matter for the National Assembly to decide, but matters directly related to the lives and livelihoods of the people must not be delayed for any reason," emphasizing, "The processing of the supplementary budget bill is more urgent and essential than anything else to protect the lives of the people." He continued, "I earnestly ask the National Assembly to pool wisdom so that we do not have to 'lock the barn after the horse is lost.'"

President Moon Jae-in is conversing with Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun after delivering remarks at the Cabinet meeting and the metropolitan area quarantine measures meeting held at the Blue House on the 23rd.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

This was the first time in about three months since March 16 that President Moon personally presided over the Metropolitan Area Quarantine Measures Meeting. Prior to the scheduled Cabinet meeting, major metropolitan leaders from Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province were present to share the quarantine situation.

President Moon diagnosed, "We are at a critical juncture where we must reduce the number of new confirmed cases further and move to a stable situation as soon as possible," adding, "The overseas spread is increasing again, and more time is needed for the development of treatments and vaccines, making this situation even more urgent." He added, "It is no exaggeration to say that the stability of COVID-19 depends on the metropolitan area," and said, "We must manage and respond to the situation calmly with a long-term perspective so that medical staff and citizens do not become exhausted."

He also appealed to the public, saying, "I can confidently say that our COVID-19 situation is still within a controllable and manageable range," and urged, "It may be tiring and more difficult due to the heatwave, but please hang in there a little longer until the situation stabilizes."

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