Ahn Cheol-soo: "900 Billion Won on Communication Costs Is Tax Waste... Should Be Used to Save Neglected Children"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, proposed on the 18th that the government and ruling party’s policy of “providing 20,000 won in nationwide communication fees” should be used to save the lives of vulnerable children facing critical situations with a budget of 900 billion won.

On the same day, Ahn mentioned on his Facebook a pair of elementary school brothers who suffered serious injuries while trying to cook ramen in a home without parents. The brothers live in a basic livelihood security household with their mother only, as their father is absent. It was confirmed that the mother, who usually suffers from depression and anxiety, did not properly care for the children, which caused public sympathy.

Ahn stated, “The prolonged COVID-19 pandemic is not just an economic hardship for vulnerable groups but a threat to life in daily life. Especially, as caregiving, which was previously done by social units, has been entirely shifted to the home, abused children who originally lacked family care are losing the world they can rely on more and more.”

Ahn criticized, “Children from neglected and abused families do not apply for after-school care classes and thus cannot receive meal support. In this situation, wasting 900 billion won of taxes to provide 20,000 won in communication fees to all citizens, whether rich or poor, is unacceptable.”

He emphasized, “Unless guardians explicitly refuse, schools should provide care such as lunch and dinner meals to children, and in cases where abuse has already been confirmed, care should be provided forcibly regardless of the parents’ wishes. Urgent deployment of personnel is needed nationwide to check the conditions and health of children.”

Ahn requested, “If legal amendments are necessary, they should be made quickly. The real estate law was passed so quickly, so why not this? Please focus on using the taxpayers’ money, which is collected for essential needs, to save the lives of vulnerable children facing critical situations, rather than spending it on popularity-driven regime approval rating management costs.”

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