Lee Hae-chan: "If 'Level 3' is implemented, support should protect small businesses, not disaster relief funds"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Wondara] Lee Hae-chan, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, expressed a negative stance regarding the payment of the second disaster relief fund, stating that "the situation is different from when the first disaster relief fund was paid."

On the afternoon of the 28th, during a farewell press conference held through the Democratic Party's YouTube channel 'Sseum TV,' Lee was asked, "Do you think the second disaster relief fund should be paid?" He replied, "The first disaster relief fund was paid to revitalize the economy, but if social distancing escalates to level 3, it should shift from disaster relief to emergency measures."

He explained, "If it reaches level 3, it becomes a quasi-war situation," adding, "It is not about revitalizing the economy, but fundamentally about protecting small businesses."

He also added, "The reason we said to observe and judge until this weekend is because if it escalates to level 3, people's daily lives will become very controlled and difficult, so I think there will be many side effects. It is not about using relief funds, but about needing extraordinary measures, so we must respond cautiously."

Recently, there has been a dispute within the ruling party over the payment of the second disaster relief fund. Lee Nak-yeon, a leading Democratic Party presidential candidate, advocated for "selective payment after observing whether social distancing escalates to level 3," while Lee Jae-myung, governor of Gyeonggi Province, argued for "universal payment." Former lawmaker Kim Boo-kyum and lawmaker Park Joo-min, both Democratic Party presidential candidates, also supported universal payment.

Meanwhile, regarding the next Democratic Party presidential candidate, Lee said, "Politics is a living organism, so depending on the situation, new candidates may emerge, and those who are currently doing well may face difficulties," adding, "Therefore, I think it is best to approach it as riding the waves that always come."

He continued, "Since the presidential election is about a year and a half away, various new situations will arise multiple times," and added, "I think this applies equally to both the ruling and opposition parties. Many people support the opposition, so it is inevitable that candidates will emerge with that support."

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