Lee Jae-myung's 'Universal Disaster Relief Fund'... Ruling Party Caught in a Dilemma

Burden of Discord for Moon Administration
Criticism of Limited Appeal to Voters
Party Meeting This Afternoon
Heated Debates Expected at Budget Committee on 5th and 8th

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, is attending the Central Election Countermeasures Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 3rd and is talking with Song Young-gil, the Standing Election Committee Chairman, during the meeting. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporters Chae-eun Koo, Jin-young Jeon] The conflict between the ruling party and the government over the additional payment of the ‘nationwide disaster relief fund’ proposed by Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, has entered a temporary lull. While maintaining the direction of promoting the disaster relief fund payment to support Lee’s policy clarity, it seems that they judged that creating discord with the current ruling Moon Jae-in administration would not be advantageous for the election. Within the party, there are also voices pointing out the limited appeal of the disaster relief fund to voters.

On the morning of the 4th, Yoon Ho-jung, the Democratic Party floor leader, and Park Wan-joo, the chairman of the Policy Committee, refrained from mentioning the nationwide disaster relief fund during their remarks at the policy coordination meeting. After the closed-door policy meeting, Shin Hyun-young, the Democratic Party spokesperson, told reporters, "There is a consensus within the party, but we need to consider when and what budget to proceed with first," adding, "More detailed discussions and coordination will be necessary."

A key Democratic Party official also told this outlet in a phone interview, "It is unprecedented and unusual to conduct a supplementary budget review during the main budget review period, and it could only lead to a fragmented budget tug-of-war with the opposition party," adding, "There are also differing opinions on whether the disaster relief fund itself will help gain votes, so we need to discuss it further (through party meetings, etc.)."

This party atmosphere contrasts with the previous day when Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum opposed by saying, "There is no immediate fiscal capacity," and Lee responded strongly, saying, "There is no case where the budget is left over (to implement policies)." The reality that President Moon Jae-in’s approval rating remains in the 30% range, higher than that of the Democratic Party or Lee, also seems to have influenced this.

For now, the Democratic Party is expected to discuss methods of compensating COVID-19 damages and whether to pay the disaster relief fund at the policy party meeting in the afternoon. Yoon Gun-young, a close aide to President Moon, appeared on the radio that day and maintained a general stance, saying, "The government has its position, and the candidate has his judgment; it is not a matter of right or wrong but a matter of choice," and "Related discussions will take place at the policy party meeting."

Meanwhile, the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts will hold plenary meetings on the 5th and 8th, where Prime Minister Kim and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Hong Nam-ki will attend for comprehensive policy questioning. There remains a possibility that disagreements and friction over the nationwide disaster relief fund payment between the ruling party, government, and opposition parties will be reproduced at that time.

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