Ahn Cheol-soo "Winning is the Goal"... Criticizes January Supplementary Budget as "Incompetent" (Comprehensive)

Ahn Cheol-soo to Attend Kwanhun Club Debate on the 8th
Expresses Positions on Unification, Economy, and COVID-19 Prevention Measures

Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the People’s Party, is speaking at the presidential candidate invitation Kwanhoon debate held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 8th. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporters Kum Boryeong, Kwon Hyunji] Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the People’s Party, reiterated a negative stance on “opposition unification” at the Kwanhun Club debate on the 8th, saying he is “not considering it.” Along with this, he explained his vision on the economy and COVID-19 prevention, emphasizing that “winning is the goal.”

At the Kwanhun Club debate held at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the same day, when asked about unification, Candidate Ahn said, “I came out to be the main player in regime change,” and added, “Winning is the goal, not just finishing the race.” Concerned that questions about unification would continue, Candidate Ahn showed discomfort, saying, “I hope we don’t spend 15 to 30 minutes of precious time on unification.”

When asked, “How does the People Power Party show sincerity about unification?” he replied, “Since it’s another party, I can’t know their internal affairs, but I understand they are divided into two internally and that there is no consensus on public discussion,” adding, “I wonder what kind of proposal could come out without internal agreement.” Candidate Ahn has criticized the People Power Party for lacking sincerity in publicly mentioning unification.

Regarding the “method of unification,” Candidate Ahn said, “Since I am not considering unification, I have never thought about the method.” He even responded to the DJP (Kim Dae-jung + Kim Jong-pil) alliance proposed by the Yoon camp with “I have never thought about it,” and “This is not a consideration.”

He also expressed frustration about the unification image surrounding him. Candidate Ahn said, “Whenever I go to the market or meet many people, I hear things like ‘Don’t quit halfway this time’ or ‘Will you unify again this time?’ but I want to firmly say that both are completely untrue,” emphasizing, “I have been involved in nine major elections over the past 10 years, and the first time I conceded was only once in the 2012 presidential election.” He added, “I have never agreed to unify except once, which was during last year’s Seoul mayoral by-election.”

Although there is public opinion that unification is necessary for regime change, Candidate Ahn stated, “I have never received any proposal (from the People Power Party),” and asserted, “I never considered it from the beginning and started with the intention to go all the way.”

Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the People’s Party, is speaking at the presidential candidate invitation Kwanhoon debate held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 8th. (Photo by Yonhap News)

Candidate Ahn criticized the current government’s COVID-19 prevention and suggested several ways to return to normal life. He explained, “COVID-19 and the flu are different. The mortality rates are different,” adding, “We can return to normal life only when the COVID-19 mortality rate is comparable to that of the flu.”

First, he believes the third vaccination dose should be increased. Previously, two doses were considered complete, but he argues this should be raised one step higher. Especially for high-risk groups aged 50 or older or those with underlying conditions, the third dose is necessary.

He also emphasized citizen participation in prevention. By using applications where confirmed cases record their movement paths themselves, citizens can utilize this to reduce the number of confirmed cases. Additionally, he expressed the importance of securing private medical personnel.

He also shared his opinion on the supplementary budget. Candidate Ahn said, “I think it should be made within the existing 607 trillion won budget passed last year, not by issuing government bonds,” criticizing, “The January supplementary budget is unreasonable. The fact that a supplementary budget is needed in January means they couldn’t foresee even a month ahead when preparing last year’s budget, which shows how incompetent they are.”

He continued, “Instead of issuing government bonds, the money needed for the first supplementary budget should be secured through internal project restructuring,” and pointed out, “The government also needs to tighten its belt.”

He also argued for the necessity of a special COVID-19 account. Candidate Ahn said, “If COVID-19 spreads, they make a supplementary budget, and if it spreads again, another supplementary budget. What kind of national finance is this? I feel a serious problem with this patchwork approach,” adding, “If a special COVID-19 account is created, there will be a clear funding method and clear targets.”

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