Jeong Sye-gyun to Lee Jae-myung's call for more subsidies: "We must move beyond one-dimensional debates"

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun criticized Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung, who on the 7th advocated for the universal distribution of the 4th disaster relief fund in the form of local currency, saying, "I hope we can move beyond the simplistic debate of 'more spending' versus 'less spending'."

Earlier, on the 4th, Governor Lee sent a letter to the Ministry of Economy and Finance urging universal support through local currency, stating that "it is necessary to provide disaster relief funds exceeding the scale of the first round of disaster relief funds to all citizens."

On the same day, Prime Minister Chung posted an article titled "In Response to Governor Lee Jae-myung's Remarks" on his Facebook, saying, "Now is the time to gather wisdom on how to 'spend government finances well,'" and pointed out, "Because it is urgent, saying 'just spend it all' is neither wise nor fair."

He continued, "The government shares the policy philosophy of prioritizing people's livelihoods just like the governor," adding, "Fiscal soundness is important, and national debt must be managed. I believe that when necessary, boldly injecting finances to cope with economic downturns will ultimately prevent fiscal collapse caused by economic crises."

Prime Minister Chung emphasized, "It is clear that many citizens are facing difficulties due to social distancing, but it is also true that some sectors have seen improvements in certain cases," and said, "For those who have been spared from the disaster, government support funds may be additional income, but for business owners who must close their doors, it can be a vital and precious seed of hope."

He added, "Among the citizens who did not receive support this time, many are expressing suffering," and stated, "The government is actively considering additional support measures for these individuals."

Regarding Governor Lee's proposal to distribute disaster relief funds in local currency, Prime Minister Chung dismissed it, saying, "For the government's finances to be effective, they must be consumed 'early' and 'in sectors that desperately need support,'" and "This effect can be achieved without any problem by providing funds through the existing method of charging credit cards."

He further said, "Local currency, which is only valid in the respective region, may help local residents, but it is difficult to understand why this method must be adopted at the national level."

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