Sim Sang-jung: "Raise Social Distancing to Level 3 and Provide Second Disaster Relief Payments"

"Pointing out the fiscal deficit? It's like blaming for using too much water to put out a fire"

Sim Sang-jung, leader of the Justice Party, is speaking at the Executive Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 24th. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Gayeon] Amid the ongoing spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), Sim Sang-jung, leader of the Justice Party, urged the government to "declare the payment of the second disaster relief fund simultaneously with the elevation of social distancing to level 3."

On the 24th, at the Executive Committee meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Leader Sim said, "It is a race against time. The sooner the second disaster relief fund is paid, the better."

Leader Sim asked, "What is the government hesitating about? How many more confirmed cases are they waiting for?" and urged, "I hope the government immediately decides to raise social distancing to level 3 in the metropolitan area."

She continued, "This is not the time for the government to keep talking about the effectiveness evaluation of level 2 or reviewing the spread," and argued, "First, raise to level 3 to put out the fire, and then ease the level depending on the situation. This is the most cost-effective measure economically."

Regarding the second emergency disaster relief fund, she said, "The payment of the second disaster relief fund is a race against time. Discussions should start at the budget settlement National Assembly at the end of August and be expedited to complete payment before Chuseok."

Sim Sang-jung, leader of the Justice Party, is arguing that "social distancing level 3 should be implemented" at the Executive Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 24th. Photo by Yonhap News

Leader Sim said, "There is no time for exhausting debates like selective payment to the lower 50%," and requested, "Considering the administrative cost waste for selection, unnecessary time consumption, income reversal phenomenon around the 50% boundary, stigma effect, and other side effects of selective payment, decide on a plan to promptly pay uniformly to all citizens."

She criticized those who point out fiscal deficits, saying, "It is like blaming the use of a lot of water to put out a fire that is engulfing the entire village."

Meanwhile, on the same day, Kim Jong-chul, senior spokesperson of the Justice Party, also expressed the position that the second disaster relief fund should not be paid selectively.

In a briefing, Senior Spokesperson Kim argued, "There is no reason to spend administrative costs and time to select the lower 50% or to engage in income reversal debates. Therefore, the principle should be universal payment to all citizens in line with universal welfare."

He added, "Now is the urgent time for the second disaster relief fund following the first COVID-19 disaster relief fund. However, if you want to allocate more funds to the lower-income groups, you can achieve the goal by paying all citizens while providing more income to the lower-income groups and minimizing differences between income brackets."

He further stated, "The most unnecessary debate regarding the second disaster relief fund is whether to pay all citizens or only the lower 50%. If universal payment is the principle and various supplementary methods are in place, unnecessary controversies can be suppressed from the start."

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