Kim Jong-in: "There Has Never Been a Government Like This... Real Estate and Choo Mi-ae Annoy the People"

Joo Ho-young "I will return around next week... Date depends on the situation"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Kim Jong-in, Emergency Committee Chairman of the United Future Party, on the 2nd commented on President Moon's approval rating falling below 50%, saying, "Everything is making the public irritated," pointing out real estate policy failures and remarks by Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae. Floor leader Joo Ho-young expressed his intention to return to the National Assembly around next week.

Chairman Kim, after the Emergency Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 2nd, told reporters, "There is no prospect of stabilizing real estate prices, and when listening to the exchanges between Minister Choo and the Prosecutor General, the public cannot help but be irritated."

He said, "There has never been a government like this in the past. A very special situation is unfolding, so the public cannot help but be irritated. After the COVID-19 crisis, the economic situation is developing very seriously, and the public's anxiety about the future is severe. Even after the Kaesong Industrial Complex liaison office was blown up, there was no apology from the North, and then suddenly there is talk of arranging a North Korea-US summit. From a common-sense perspective, I don't know if that is the right idea." Regarding media reports that he would announce a national address on the 5th, marking one month since his inauguration, he flatly denied, "I never said such a thing."

When asked about the justification for returning to the standing committee, he explained, "All the standing committee chairs have gone over to the Democratic Party, and even if we enter the National Assembly and perform our opposition party functions and discussions, there is no special reason to talk about returning. Until the 3rd, if we participate, the supplementary budget review cannot be done properly. We will leave that to them for now, and then fulfill our duties as lawmakers afterward."

When asked if it is appropriate to expect floor leader Joo to return early next week, he replied, "It will be around that time," but added, "We will decide the exact date depending on the situation."

Earlier, Floor Leader Joo criticized the Democratic Party for sneakily inserting 350 billion won of regional budgets into the COVID supplementary budget. Regarding the claim that 300 billion won of this would be used to support the shipbuilding industry to overcome COVID-19, he questioned, "This government always turns everything into COVID-19. Why should that be urgently reflected in the supplementary budget? If they insist that it is a COVID budget, should we accept and believe it?"

Regarding the consideration of impeachment against Minister Choo, he said, "The conclusion will come soon today," and added, "I want to earnestly tell Minister Choo, not as a floor leader of the opposition party but as someone who knows her, to 'reflect on herself a bit.'"

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