Lee Jae-myung "Preparing Integration Recovery Plan... Will Become the Supreme Commander to Overcome Crisis"

Emergency Meeting of Representatives of Self-Employed and Small Business Owners

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced on the 8th that he will compensate self-employed individuals and small business owners who suffered losses due to COVID-19 accordingly, and will shift quarantine guidelines to establish a large-scale integrated recovery plan.

Candidate Lee made this statement during an emergency meeting held at Bangsin Traditional Market in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, with representatives of nationwide self-employed and small business organizations. He emphasized, "We must shift quarantine policies, including easing business restrictions, and employ methods that compensate and support losses accordingly."

Regarding the establishment of a large-scale integrated recovery plan, Candidate Lee explained, "While a complete lockdown operation is necessary for a small number of infections with a high fatality rate, the current COVID-19 situation has changed significantly," adding, "Currently, infections are widespread but damages are minimal, so the harm caused by lockdowns outweighs the benefits." He also described a smart quarantine system, which allows those who have received the third vaccine dose to operate businesses until midnight, as part of the large-scale integrated recovery plan.

On the supplementary budget (추경) proposal, Candidate Lee stated, "We should expand it as much as possible to clearly establish government responsibility for additional losses," and added, "If elected, I will immediately cooperate with the government, and if that does not work, I plan to promptly implement an emergency supplementary budget or, if possible, an emergency financial order to provide about 50 trillion won in COVID-19 support right after taking office."

He continued, "Other countries have provided financial support exceeding 14% of their GDP to their citizens and promised that the state would take responsibility for losses, but we did not even compensate for damages and said, 'The losses are your fault, so endure it yourself,'" adding, "It is unacceptable to leave people to endure to the point of making extreme choices, closing businesses, and going bankrupt."

Based on his experience responding to COVID-19 as the governor of Gyeonggi Province, Candidate Lee emphasized, "I am confident that I will be the supreme commander in overcoming this crisis." He said, "I exercised coercive power to secure the list of Shincheonji members, which even the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the prosecution hesitated to do, and chased Chairman Lee Man-hee to Gapyeong to make him undergo testing," adding, "Using the authority given to me to the fullest for the people, even if I am politically doubted and attacked, enduring and producing results is what true leadership is about."

He also said, "I trust the people," and added, "I will never give power to satisfy the private revenge feelings of any particular political group."

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