Kim Jong-in: "Disaster Relief Funds Should Be Focused on Small Business Owners... Using COVID-19 Politically Is Petty" (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Lee Ji-eun and Lim Chun-han] Kim Jong-in, Emergency Committee Chairman of the United Future Party, emphasized that disaster relief funds should be selectively provided to self-employed individuals and small business owners, considering polarization. He also proposed the establishment of a National Health Safety Department to build a health system. Within the emergency committee, there were also calls to raise social distancing measures to level 3 due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

Chairman Kim told reporters immediately after the emergency committee meeting at the National Assembly main building on the 24th, "If we are to move to level 3 (social distancing), the livelihood issues of those working in sectors such as self-employed and small business owners will be serious," emphasizing this point.

In his opening remarks at the emergency committee meeting that day, he mentioned the polarization issue and stressed the need for selective distribution of the second disaster relief funds. Chairman Kim said, "The first disaster relief funds were given uniformly per household, but the first payment did not resolve polarization," adding, "If disaster relief funds are not intensively provided to those sectors (self-employed, small business owners), the polarization phenomenon will worsen."

Chairman Kim said, "If you go to the National Tax Service, they have all the withholding tax data," and added, "Those who are subject to withholding tax are people whose income is continuously guaranteed, so we need to consider whether it is necessary to provide disaster relief funds to such people."

Regarding the ruling party's claim that COVID-19 spread due to the Liberation Day rally, Chairman Kim said, "Isn't the government and ruling party trying to associate the United Future Party with COVID-19 spread by using the logic that it spread due to the Liberation Day rally?" He called the politicization of COVID-19 and its political use "a very irrational and childish way of thinking."

At the emergency committee meeting that day, Chairman Kim also said, "Regarding the second wave of COVID-19 spread, the government inevitably has to prepare the 4th supplementary budget," adding, "When distributing emergency disaster relief funds, preparations should be made while considering polarization issues and reviewing where support should be most intensively focused."

He also proposed the establishment of a National Health Safety Department, saying, "While experiencing the COVID-19 crisis, I thought we need to properly establish our country's health system."

He criticized the government's incorrect messaging related to the COVID-19 resurgence. Chairman Kim pointed out, "The government is repeating mistakes," and said, "In March, when COVID-19 temporarily subsided, the president took off his mask and said at a cabinet meeting that it was okay to remove masks. The government sent the wrong message, which led to the resurgence of COVID-19."

He continued, "This time, the government was careless by encouraging travel and consumption, and COVID-19 spread," adding, "The president mentioned arrests and detention warrants regarding COVID-19, enforced coercion, and considered excessive law enforcement, but the ones who solve COVID-19 are not the law but solely the dedicated efforts of medical staff."

He also warned against the ruling party's politicization of COVID-19. Chairman Kim said, "Looking at the ruling party's recent behavior trying to politicize the COVID-19 crisis, they are showing unfair and unjust behavior regarding the prosecution destruction incident, Cho Kuk, the Ulsan mayoral election interference, the Yoon Mi-hyang case, and power-related suspicion cases," adding, "It is right for the entire nation to participate in COVID-19 prevention, but inciting fear should be avoided in a democratic country."

Chairman Kim said, "Countries are competing to secure COVID-19 vaccines," and added, "I hope the government will explain whether it is making efforts to vaccinate the entire population, how much vaccine securing capability it has, and make the best efforts to secure vaccines."

Floor leader Joo Ho-young also said, "The government is responsible for failing to prevent the second wave of COVID-19 infections despite warnings from experts," and demanded an apology, saying, "The government, which should raise public awareness and educate the people, instead encouraged travel and issued dining coupons, causing wrong perceptions."

Regarding the doctors' association strike, he said, "More medical personnel are needed, and when dedication is required, we cannot help but criticize the government's lack of measures," adding, "Since this is a very important law adjusting the Korean medical system, the final discussion should be conducted in depth by the National Assembly forming a special committee."

Emergency committee member Sung Il-jong argued that social distancing should be raised to level 3. He said, "It is effective only if (level 3) is implemented within the first week of the infectious disease outbreak," and added, "We need to ask for the public's understanding and participation." Emergency committee member Kim Mi-ae also said, "The COVID-19 resurgence is serious enough to consider social distancing level 3."

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