Yoon Hee-sook: "Disaster Relief Fund Direction Must Be Decided Quickly... Personal 'Political Position' Should Not Be Insisted"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Yoon Hee-sook, a member of the Future United Party, said regarding the second disaster relief fund, "The direction of the disaster relief fund must be decided quickly," and about politicians' debates on the disaster relief fund, "It should not become a debate for individual political standing."

On the 25th, Yoon said on Facebook, "I firmly state that the current disaster relief fund should aim for relief."

He pointed out the ruling party's internal debate on the disaster relief fund, saying, "It is somewhat healthy that politicians have different positions on the current disaster relief fund, but this should not become an empty and stubborn debate for individual political standing." Among the major presidential candidates in the ruling party, Lee Nak-yeon advocates for differentiated support, while Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, insists on 100% payment.

Yoon pointed out that behind the universal vs. selective debate, there are not only election engineering vote calculations but also differences in perspectives on the nature of the disaster relief fund. He especially emphasized the latter. He said, "Those who advocate for nationwide payment believe the disaster relief fund is not relief but economic stimulus," adding, "However, to stimulate the economy by providing cash, people must easily go out and spend the support money, and this must actively function as a connecting link that leads to further consumption."

Yoon said, "In the current social distancing situation, the repeated interaction links between individuals are cut off," and "If the government releases money, only about 10% circulates in the market, and the rest is used to replace original expenditures, so there is no effect."

He continued, "Above all, it is inappropriate to aim for economic stimulus at a time when quarantine and social distancing are important," emphasizing the payment of disaster relief funds for relief. The support money should be provided mainly to those whose livelihoods are at risk.

Yoon said, "The social gap has also become clear during the COVID-19 phase," adding, "Those who can say, 'Our company is working from home this week' without worries about livelihood or unemployment already sense how relatively comfortable their position is."

He said, "To overcome this national crisis without fatal damage for everyone, paradoxically, concentrating resources on those in difficulty is true universal welfare," and "Whether those relatively less affected can give up buying Korean beef or glasses and support their neighbors' livelihoods will show how much we are united as a community."

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