Lee Nak-yeon "What if disaster relief funds cause COVID-19 spread?" vs Kim Boo-kyum "Exaggerated expression"

Lee Nak-yeon "Prioritize Quarantine... Not the Time for Such Controversies"
Kim Boo-kyum "Disaster Relief Payments Must Be Provided"

Kim Boo-kyum, a candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea's party leader, is delivering his policy speech at the joint speech meeting for the party leader and Supreme Council member candidates of the Democratic Party of Korea held at the Changwon Convention Center in Uichang-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam, on the morning of the 1st. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Joo-hee] Former lawmaker Kim Boo-kyum, a candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea's party leader, criticized lawmaker Lee Nak-yeon, who expressed cautious views on the payment of the second emergency disaster relief fund, saying it was "not an accurate judgment." Earlier, Lee had made remarks suggesting that "the payment of disaster relief funds could worsen the COVID-19 situation."

On the 26th, Kim appeared on YTN Radio's 'Starting a New Morning' and said, "Since (Lee) expressed that the payment of disaster relief funds should be cautious, it seems like an exaggerated expression," adding, "Looking at the situation during the first disaster relief fund payment, it cannot be said that way."

He explained, "Many self-employed people, restaurant owners, and those running very small businesses say they managed to survive thanks to the first disaster relief fund," and added, "The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the livelihoods of all citizens. At times like this, the state must take responsibility and care for the people, even if it means borrowing money; otherwise, each citizen will have to bear the burden individually."

He continued, "When the values of welfare and economic vitality conflict, I believe it is clear what choice should be made."

Kim emphasized, "While the issue of disaster relief fund payment is a serious matter that requires issuing government bonds and thus needs caution, if social distancing level 3 is implemented, it must be done," and added, "However, high-income earners should be taxed to recover the amount during year-end tax adjustments."

Regarding the payment method, he said, "First, focus on quarantine, and in terms of discussion direction, considering 100% universal payment is the most timely and effective," adding, "It is difficult to divide the criteria when paying 50% or 70%. Various problems such as administrative errors and household separation could cause confusion, including fraudulent recipients."

On the 18th, Lee Nak-yeon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, appeared on CBS Radio's 'Sisa Jaki Jeong Gwan-yong imnida.' Photo by Yonhap News.

On the other hand, lawmaker Lee expressed a cautious stance on the payment of the second emergency disaster relief fund, given the severe spread of the novel coronavirus infection.

In an interview with KBS Radio's 'Kim Kyung-rae's Strong Current Affairs' on the 26th, Lee said, "What if the COVID-19 situation worsens due to the payment of disaster relief funds? This is not the time to get caught up in such controversies," expressing concern, "If the situation worsens, it might become a state that cannot be resolved by disaster relief funds."

Lee continued, "Since the situation is very fluid, rather than spending energy on such controversies, it is right to strengthen quarantine measures to minimize damage without moving to social distancing level 3," and argued, "It is not right to consider the payment method or amount of disaster relief funds first without taking such factors into account."

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