Park Vows to Cut Living Cost by 30%

By Kang Hyun-kyung

Staff Reporter

Presidential hopeful Park Geun-hye of the Grand National Party (GNP) pledged Sunday that she will help middle and low-income families cut household spending on mobile phone fees, gas and private education by over 30 percent.

If her pledges are implemented, families will save up to 5.3 million won annually, Park explained.

``Under the current economic situation, even families whose breadwinners are employed with a stable job tend to feel pressure from rising prices,'' one of the leading presidential contenders said.

Park singled out six key policy areas _ gas prices, telecommunication fees, toll fees, private education, childcare and prescription drugs _ as her policy priorities.

She said deregulation and tax cuts will help cut mobile phone fees by up to 30 percent from the current level.

``As for highway tolls, I will look into if the nation's entire highway system is working. And I will readjust highway tolls that are not working and expand the current highway pass system across the country. It will help cut current tolls by 50 percent,'' she said.

The former party chairwoman told reporters that the policy package was designed to help low-income families by providing real-life oriented and tangible measures.

Park said she would continue to present specific measures for those in the low-income bracket for the remainder of the primary campaign season.