Democratic Party: "We will establish legal grounds for strong punishment against quarantine obstruction"... Comprehensive pressure on conservative camp

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] The Democratic Party of Korea has set a policy to establish legal grounds for strong punishment if COVID-19 quarantine guidelines are violated. This is seen as targeting the conservative camp, including the United Future Party and Sarang Jeil Church. Additionally, voices calling for the payment of a second round of disaster relief funds are growing, showing efforts to regain public support.

Lee Hae-chan, leader of the Democratic Party, said at the Supreme Council meeting on the 21st, "Sarang Jeil Church is spreading fake news and blocking testing of its members despite being in a situation where a hundredfold self-restraint is insufficient," adding, "The thoughtless actions of some members and religious groups are absolutely unacceptable."

He continued, "Some church groups are systematically inciting illegal acts despite the administrative order for online worship," and said, "If confirmed cases occur, the government demands strict punishment according to law and principles and will definitely exercise the right to claim damages."

Kim Tae-nyeon, floor leader, also said on the same day, "Strong responsibility must be held for intentional obstruction of quarantine," and added, "The Democratic Party will establish legal grounds for punitive damages and strong punishment for antisocial acts that obstruct quarantine, such as interference with investigations."

Voices within the party calling for the payment of a second disaster relief fund are also growing. Seol Hoon, Supreme Council member, emphasized, "It is an important time for the government's proactive role," and said, "We must promote the payment of the second disaster relief fund to protect vulnerable groups and build a defense line against domestic demand contraction." He added, "The emergency disaster relief fund paid in May served as a stepping stone not only for stabilizing the lives of ordinary people but also for revitalizing local businesses and minimizing the Korean economy's negative growth."

Lawmaker Kim Min-seok also wrote on Facebook, "Let's immediately implement the second disaster relief." Kim said, "There are plenty of resources and methods to find and must find, such as expenditure restructuring, burden sharing, and target adjustment for the third supplementary budget," adding, "It is time to respond strongly and swiftly in all areas of disaster economy, disaster politics, and disaster administration."

However, the party leadership remains cautious, saying it is still a "personal opinion," but they also left room for consideration. Yoon Kwan-seok, chairman of the Policy Committee, said, "It seems to be in the sense that measures are needed as economic damage is coming," but added, "There are no plans for related discussions yet." He also said, "It is difficult to predict the COVID-19 situation easily, so we need to see how much it will spread," adding, "The current situation looks serious."

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