Joo Ho-young on Overtaking in Approval Ratings: "I Think the People Recognize the Effort I've Made"

Volunteer Flood Recovery in Namwon, Jeonbuk
"Disaster Relief Fund Doubled Is Not Enough... Should Be 3 to 4 Times"

Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the United Future Party (left), is helping with recovery work at the flood damage site in Namwon, Jeonbuk on the 13th.

[Namwon (Jeonbuk) = Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chunhan] Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the United Future Party, said on the 13th that the party's approval rating surpassed that of the Democratic Party of Korea for the first time since the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, expressing, "I have come to believe that the public recognizes our efforts," and added, "We will work even harder."

Joo made these remarks in response to reporters' questions at a flood recovery site in Namwon, Jeonbuk. He said, "Poll results vary by institution, and in some of our surveys, we were far behind," but added, "At the August budget session and the September regular session of the National Assembly, we are determined to craft laws, budgets, and policies that the public needs more precisely than the ruling party."

Having visited Honam on the 10th and 11th to assist with flood recovery efforts, Joo returned to Honam again after two days. Originally, he planned a press briefing on the 15th to mark his '100 days in office,' but postponed it to the 14th. He said, "I wanted to find some meaning through recovery support activities with 300 party members," and shared, "When you actually visit the site, the situation is much more severe than media reports suggest. The relief system for flood victims is woefully inadequate."

He also evaluated the decision made at the previous day's high-level party-government meeting to double the disaster relief fund from 1 million won to 2 million won as "grossly insufficient." Joo emphasized, "With 2 million won, you can't even properly buy a home appliance or a blanket," and said, "If the state's reason for existence is to help and resolve difficulties when the people are in trouble, then the state must provide substantial support to those affected by disasters."

Regarding the specific amount of increase, he said, "It should be at least three to four times more," adding, "Is there any money more urgent than emergency disaster relief funds? If we save on unnecessary expenses, we can definitely secure it, and if funds are insufficient, I will not oppose supplementary budgets." Joo also stated, "I think the central government's estimate of 500 billion won for this flood damage is too low," and added, "When the National Assembly convenes, changing this will be our top priority."

Joo announced plans to revise the designation of special disaster areas to be at the town and township level rather than at the local government level. He said, "Currently, a minimum damage of 6 billion won per city or county is required for designation. Although the damage looks enormous, some areas are excluded when viewed at the county level," and added, "We will lead legislative reforms so that citizens affected by disasters can receive immediate relief, especially support to secure basic necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter."

Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the United Future Party (left), is helping with recovery work at the flood damage site in Namwon, Jeonbuk, on the 13th.

Joo emphasized that the flood damage in the Seomjin River was a man-made disaster. He explained, "Sand accumulated in the middle of the river formed islands where trees grew, severely obstructing water flow. Although the Hadong County governor requested maintenance, it was neglected, causing the river to rise and resulting in this incident," and criticized, "Also, the Korea Water Resources Corporation, the Korea Rural Community Corporation, and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, which manage dams, tried to retain as much water as possible to prepare for drought, but despite the forecast of heavy rain, they did not conduct preemptive water release."

He said, "It should be managed scientifically, but I find it regrettable that this was not done properly," and added, "Water management has been centralized under the Ministry of Environment, but water volume and dam safety remain under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, leading to ambiguous responsibilities. I plan to form a standing committee or task force (TF) to investigate this."

Regarding the effectiveness of the Four Major Rivers Project, which is currently debated between the ruling and opposition parties, Joo said, "(The Four Major Rivers Project) was primarily aimed at solving water shortages by storing water, and secondly, to anticipate floods," adding, "Because people keep viewing it from a political regime perspective, there are ongoing controversies about whether it has flood prevention functions or not, which is laughable."

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