DPK Announces 'Hit! Sure' Pledges: Large Fans for Traditional Markets, Expanded Taxi Support for Transportation-Vulnerable

The Democratic Party of Korea announced on April 28 a pledge to support the installation of large fans in traditional markets equipped with arcades (canopies) ahead of the June 3 local elections.

Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party, explained at the "Tak! But Pledge Project" presentation hosted by the People’s Livelihood and Economic Leap Promotion Team at the National Assembly that day, "In most cases, arcades in traditional markets become even hotter like a steamer in the summer," adding, "This negatively impacts the health of merchants and also has adverse effects on the local economy."

Um Kyunghwa, a merchant whom Jeong met at Sejong Traditional Market on April 25, told Jeong in a phone call that day, "During summer, the traditional market gets so hot that people do not come in," and added, "It would be great if fans or other ventilation equipment could bring in cool air and allow air to circulate."

In response, the Democratic Party included in its 13th pledge a plan to designate heatwave response equipment, such as large fans, as standard support items under the facility modernization project. This aims to address side effects, as arcades that protect against rain and snow often trap heat inside the market, turning it into a greenhouse-like environment during the summer.

Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the announcement of promises 13 to 15 of the "Tak! But Pledge Project" held at the National Assembly on the 28th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

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As the 14th and 15th pledges, the Democratic Party promised to expand support for taxis for transportation-vulnerable groups and to strengthen in-school care for students with the most severe disabilities. The pledges include achieving 100% of the legally required number of special transportation vehicles such as call taxis for people with disabilities in local governments nationwide, increasing operational funding, and expanding voucher taxis for transportation-vulnerable individuals who do not use wheelchairs nationwide. Additionally, the party proposed to introduce a new "(tentative name) in-school activity support voucher for students with disabilities" to provide hygiene management and communication assistance within schools for students with the most severe disabilities.

Kim Taenyon, a Democratic Party lawmaker and head of the People’s Livelihood and Economic Leap Promotion Team, noted, "The first-quarter GDP growth rate has been announced at 1.7%, the highest in five years and six months," but added, "Politics must fill the gaps where the warmth of the macroeconomy has not yet reached-places like traditional market merchants enduring the heat of midsummer, transportation-vulnerable people who must constantly reserve call taxis, and parents who send children with the most severe disabilities to school and anxiously wait at the school gate."

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