Lee Jae-myung on Nationwide Disaster Relief Fund: "Reasonable Conclusion Possible Due to Excess Tax Revenue"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on the 1st regarding the promotion of nationwide disaster relief funds, "The livelihood field is very difficult, and there is also excess tax revenue, so we can reach a reasonable conclusion."

After paying a courtesy visit to National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seok at the National Assembly that morning, Lee told reporters, "Debates among politicians or between bureaucrats and politicians are not necessarily based on academic theories and evidence. It is a matter of judgment and decision." He added, "If there is sufficient dialogue and public opinion is formed, it is the duty of bureaucrats and politicians in a sovereign nation to follow it."

Earlier, on the 29th of last month, Lee said, "At the beginning of COVID-19, I mentioned that household support, so-called disaster relief funds or basic disaster income, would be at least 1 million won per person." However, he pointed out that the amount paid so far is far less compared to other countries relative to GDP and announced plans to promote the payment of nationwide disaster relief funds. The day before, Lee also said, "I think it should be 1 million won per person, but currently about 480,000 to 500,000 won has been paid," adding, "In the COVID-19 phase, an additional minimum of 300,000 to 500,000 won should be paid."

When asked about concerns that discord might arise due to a lack of prior coordination within the party, Lee responded, "That cannot be called discord," and said, "The party is a collective of diverse people. It is a natural process to debate, decide, and then follow together." Regarding Ahn Cheol-soo, the leader of the People’s Party who officially declared his presidential candidacy that day, Lee said, "Candidacy is a freedom, isn’t it? Any citizen of the Republic of Korea who meets the legal requirements can run. I hope it goes well."

On questions related to the Media Arbitration Act, he said, "Freedom of expression is a system or fundamental right created to deepen democracy and realize it in practice," adding, "Some misuse this to spread fake news, distorting the judgment of the sovereign people."

He then referred to the recent controversy surrounding allegations of 'robot abuse' against him, saying, "Some media spread fake news claiming I abused a robot to portray me as a violent person," and added, "Originally, a robot should get up if it falls. If it can’t get up, isn’t it a beetle or a turtle?" He criticized, "It was a (overturn) test done upon request, but they cut the front part and said I abused the robot. Some even said I cannot empathize with the robot. That is precisely an act that clouds the public’s judgment and damages democracy."

Lee also emphasized, "Some lawmakers spread fake news recklessly in the National Assembly under parliamentary immunity and use it for political slander even knowing it is false. These are crimes that damage democracy," and stressed, "This should never be protected by law. It seems many citizens also have opinions supporting the limitation of parliamentary immunity."

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