與 "Will you follow the decision to provide nationwide disaster relief funds?" Hong: "No, I will not"

Hong Nam-ki to Attend Full Meeting of the National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee on the 16th
"Discussing Debt Repayment Issues... Card Cashback Can Be Adjusted"

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Hong Nam-ki responding to lawmakers' questions at the plenary meeting of the Planning and Finance Committee held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 16th. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Hong Nam-ki said on the 16th, "The government has submitted a plan to provide disaster relief funds to the bottom 80% of income earners, and I hope it remains that way." He reiterated his opposition to the nationwide disaster relief fund payment being discussed in the political sphere. Regarding the credit card cashback, he hinted at the possibility of some adjustments.

On that day, Deputy Prime Minister Hong appeared at the plenary session of the National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee and made these remarks. When Jeong Il-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, asked, "Considering Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum's remarks yesterday, it seems that nationwide support funds could be accepted. What is your view?" Hong replied, "The government has submitted the 80% payment plan, and I hope it remains that way." When Jeong said, "The National Assembly will follow if it decides," Hong responded, "I don't think that will be the case."

In response to a question from Yong Hye-in, a member of the Basic Income Party, Hong explained, "This issue may be about money or resources, but in fiscal management, giving to everyone requires a justifiable reason. Just as basic livelihood benefits are given only to those who meet the criteria, it is efficient to provide support funds only to those who really need them."

When asked whether an additional supplementary budget would be prepared if the situation worsens due to the fourth wave of resurgence, he answered, "It means that the supplementary budget should reinforce the three sets of vaccines, quarantine, and damage support, not that it needs to be newly revised."

Regarding whether it is necessary to repay the 2 trillion won debt, he indirectly reaffirmed the existing position by saying, "There was a lot of discussion at the Budget and Accounts Committee yesterday, and we will put our heads together and discuss it in the subcommittee."

When asked if it is necessary to allocate the 1.1 trillion won credit card cashback, Hong said, "We designed the cashback system to help the sales of small business owners and self-employed people, but since the quarantine level has risen to level 4, we believe this system is necessary. However, since the quarantine situation has changed, we think the number of months, etc., can be adjusted, and we will discuss it during the budget review."

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