SanJawi Ends Meeting in 1.5 Hours... Voices Spread Criticizing "Hasty Supplementary Budget Review"

[Asia Economy Reporter Won Dara] The National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts began the subcommittee review, which corresponds to the main examination, on the 1st, but concerns are emerging that a 'hasty review' will continue. In the preliminary review by each standing committee the previous day, proposals were submitted with a total increase of 3.10315 trillion won compared to the government's supplementary budget plan.

According to the National Assembly on the 1st, the Budget and Accounts Committee will start the subcommittee review at 2 p.m. that day. According to the proposals submitted by each standing committee, the Industry, Trade, and Energy Committee increased the budget the most by 2.3101 trillion won, followed by the Education Committee (388.1 billion won), Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee (79.898 billion won), Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Committee (316.31 billion won), Environment and Labor Committee (37.4 billion won), and Women’s Committee (340 million won). The committees that reduced the budget were the National Defense Committee (920 million won) and the Judiciary Committee (40 million won).

The opposition parties criticized that this preliminary review was conducted hastily. Most standing committees completed the preliminary review within 1 to 2 hours, and even the Industry, Trade, and Energy Committee, which increased the budget the most, finished the meeting in about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Ryu Ho-jeong, a Justice Party member of the Industry, Trade, and Energy Committee, said, "There was not enough time to thoroughly examine the supplementary budget," adding, "The possibility of a hasty review has increased." Jang Hye-young, also from the Justice Party and a member of the Strategy and Finance Committee, expressed regret over the ruling party and government's hasty operation and even stormed out of the meeting room.

The main examination is also expected to be conducted hastily. In particular, members of the Future United Party, who are protesting against forced assignment to standing committees, will not attend the subcommittee review that day. Joo Ho-young, the floor leader, pointed out on JTBC's 'Morning&' program that morning, "If necessary, we can increase the budget, and if unnecessary, we can cut it, but distributing several trillion won like children's pocket money for populist purposes clearly shows how lightly the Democratic Party government regards national finances."

Earlier, the United Party hinted that they could participate in the standing committees if the supplementary budget review period was extended. Floor leader Joo said, "Rather than participating if extended, we are insisting that it must be extended," adding, "Our official position is that there is no need to play a supporting role in conducting the supplementary budget review according to the Blue House government's request in just 3 to 4 days until the 3rd of this month." He also criticized the supplementary budget process on Facebook, saying, "The National Assembly has become an uncontrollable runaway train as Prosecutor General Choo Mi-ae described." Amid the United Party's continued boycott of standing committees following the failure to organize the National Assembly, Floor leader Joo hinted at a return after committee adjustments, saying, "The boycott will not last long."

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