Lee Jae-myung "Hong Nam-ki, Deputy Prime Minister, is embarrassed for agreeing with the United Future Party's claims without verification"

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, expressed his embarrassment upon seeing Hong Nam-ki, Deputy Prime Minister of Economy, who disparaged his claim for a second round of disaster relief payments as "immature talk," siding with the opposition party (United Future Party) and criticizing without verifying the facts.

On August 31, Lee said on Facebook, "Today (August 31), Im Eui-ja, a member of the United Future Party, mentioned my interview emphasizing the need for additional disaster relief payments and fiscal capacity at the National Assembly's Budget and Accounts Committee, calling it immature talk. Deputy Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki echoed this and even criticized it as an 'irresponsible remark.' I do not think the Deputy Prime Minister would side with the United Future Party, but I am very embarrassed."

Earlier, on August 28, Lee appeared on MBC Radio's "Kim Jong-bae's Focus" and advocated for a second round of disaster relief payments, saying, "I think even if we pay about 300,000 won 50 or 100 times, it would not reach the national debt ratio of Western advanced countries."

He criticized, "At that time, my statement was to emphasize that South Korea has sufficient payment capacity, not that we should really pay disaster relief 100 times. However, this statement is being twisted to distort that I said 'let's pay disaster relief 100 times' or 'even if paid 100 times, fiscal soundness is okay.'"

Furthermore, he said, "Even if the United Future Party, which constantly obstructs government policies, only looks at the failure of the Moon Jae-in administration, and habitually distorts facts by exaggeration, it is one thing. But it is embarrassing that Deputy Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki, who is responsible for the government, sided with the United Future Party's claim of 'immaturity' without verifying the media interview of the Gyeonggi Province Governor, a partner in state affairs, and criticized it as an irresponsible remark. I do not think he would have sided with distortion and criticism knowing the facts," leaving a subtle impression.

He added, "As the head of the provincial government entrusted by 13.7 million Gyeonggi residents, more than a quarter of South Korea's population, I believe I can at least express opinions on government policies that have a significant impact on the lives of residents."

Lee also did not forget to warn about the delay in the second round of disaster relief payments.

He expressed concern, saying, "The economic recession and consumption slowdown caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic were barely defended by the first disaster relief payment, but now its effect is fading, and a colder and harsher winter has begun. If this continues, the economy will inevitably freeze more and more over time, and cries of distress have already been heard here and there for some time."

In particular, he worried, "Unlike several foreign countries that paid more than 1 million won per person despite the increase in national debt, South Korea, which paid barely about 200,000 won per person, cannot avoid the second, third, and fourth rounds of disaster relief payments."

He further urged, "If the basic unit of the economic ecosystem, the grassland, dries up beyond drought to flames and the roots burn, turning into a desert, even paying several times the cost will not easily restore it. I hope we do not waste time on fiscal soundness rhetoric and miss the truly precious 'golden time for economic recovery.'"

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