Lee Jae-myung Strongly Requests Hong Nam-ki and Ko Seung-beom to Increase Supplementary Budget for Small Business Owners and Self-Employed Workers

"Stop Driving Small Business Owners and Self-Employed to the Brink Any Longer"

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, is speaking at the emergency meeting of the national representatives of self-employed and small business organizations held on the 8th in the conference room of the Bangsin Traditional Market Customer Support Center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, titled "We will be the strength of the self-employed and small business owners." Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Jeong-wan] Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, urged Hong Nam-ki, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, and Ko Seung-beom, Chairman of the Financial Services Commission, to "strongly request an increase in the supplementary budget and financial support for small business owners and self-employed individuals." Previously, Deputy Prime Minister Hong repeatedly stated that an increase in the supplementary budget proposed by the ruling party was "not possible," leading to conflicts.

On the 9th, Lee posted on his Facebook, "Last January, Ko Seung-beom, Chairman of the Financial Services Commission, announced that financial support is not a fundamental solution and that the extension of loan maturities and interest repayment deferrals for small business owners and self-employed individuals would end at the end of March," adding, "This is no different from a 'death sentence' for small business owners and the self-employed."

He criticized, "The fiscal and financial authorities only say they are considering extensions but do not respond to the pleas of small business owners and the self-employed. They remain silent even in the face of the National Assembly's demands to extend loan maturities and interest repayment deferrals. They are even opposing an increase in the supplementary budget."

Photo by Lee Jae-myung, captured from the Facebook page of the Democratic Party presidential candidate

Lee said, "It is frustrating. Honestly, it even makes me angry," emphasizing, "The positions and logic of the fiscal and financial authorities lack justification. If loans and interest repayments are made as scheduled at the end of March, it is obvious that the situation of small business owners and micro self-employed will worsen."

He then requested, "I ask Deputy Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki and Chairman Ko Seung-beom not to push our small business owners and self-employed to the brink any longer," and urged, "Please immediately extend the loan maturity and interest repayment deferrals for small business owners and the self-employed. I also hope you agree to the National Assembly's demand to increase the supplementary budget for small business owners and the self-employed who are facing a survival crisis."

Finally, he added, "Now is a time when warm-hearted administration is more desperately needed than ever. I urge the government authorities to make a decisive decision."

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