Political parties bristle at gov’t criticism of ’populist’ campaign promises

Politicians from both ruling and opposition parties bristled in unison Tuesday at government criticism that they are churning out irresponsible promises of high-priced welfare measures ahead of April's parliamentary elections.

In a rare move, the finance ministry warned earlier this week that its review of campaign promises of the ruling Saenuri and the main opposition Democratic United parties showed that they would cost the nation up to 340 trillion won ($302 billion) over the next five years.

The warning was aimed at sounding alarm bells about political parties going too far in trying to win over voters with populist promises of welfare policies. The government says it could deal a serious blow to government finances and end up a heavy burden to future generations.

Promised welfare measures range from quadrupling the salaries of rank-and-file conscript soldiers to about 400,000 won and providing free childcare services for families with children under the age of 5, to providing free high school education, school lunches and halving college tuition.

"If the welfare budget grows too fast, it ultimately has to be funded by debts and after all, we would end up in a national default or younger generations will have to repay them all," senior presidential economic secretary Kim Dae-ki told reporters Tuesday.

"The pace should be a level that we can manage," he said.

Lawmakers expressed displeasure over the government's warning, claiming that campaign promises reflect the political will of the parties and that the government has gone too far in its intervention.

"It is the first time that the government has taken issue with policy promises of political parties," said Kim Chong-in, a member of the ruling party's emergency council. "This is an act that is not right."

Kim also criticized the government for remaining silent when President Lee Myung-bak made what is dubbed the "747" promise during the 2007 presidential campaign that calls for attaining 7 percent annual economic growth, increasing per capita income to $40,000 and making South Korea the world's seventh-largest economy in a decade.

"The 747 was a far-fetched promise. The finance ministry made no mention of it at the time. I don't understand why it is acting like this now," he said. "If they have time to waste their energy, they better care more for pending issues."

Another ruling party legislator Kim Sung-tae said that he understands the government's concern about populism, but it is "not desirable" for the government to try to verify campaign promises of political parties.

Rep. Lim Hae-kyu of the same party also said campaign promises are different from formulating the budget.

Opposition lawmakers also kept up criticism of the government.

"It is a very undesirable attitude of the government that it is going to an all-out war with political parties," said Rep. Lee Yong-sup, chief policymaker of the main opposition party, accusing the Lee administration of "devastating" the livelihoods of ordinary people.

"Why would political parties put forward welfare policies? It is because it is too difficult for ordinary people to make a living," he said. "Political parties are trying to address this. It is absurd for the government to denounce these efforts. (Yonhap)