By Park Ji-won
Rep. Kim Sung-tae, floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), is drawing criticism over a National Assembly speech he made Wednesday criticizing the Moon Jae-in administration's income-led growth policy.
While raising the offensive against the government's poor economic performance, Kim proposed a “birth-led” growth policy as an alternative.
He proposed the creation of a state subsidy of 20 million won ($1,780) per baby born, and giving 100 million won in sum to the parents until the child becomes an adult.
Citing the birthrate has fallen below 400,000 a year, Kim insisted resolving the low-birth rate problem is a priority in revitalizing the economy.
Women's rights groups argued Kim's “birth-led” growth is gender discrimination, and blames women for the low birthrate.
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and opposition parties went all-out to criticize Kim's remarks saying he is considering women as a tool to boost the nation's economic growth.
“The LKP's way of thinking is infertile. Only giving incentives, without considering the fundamental reasons for the low birthrate, doesn't resolve the problem. We should not simply urge women to have children, but to reduce the reasons to avoid having children and create a society where parents and children can live happily,” DPK policy chief Kim Tae-nyeon said.
Chung Choon-saeng, a senior DPK member, also criticized Kim Sung-tae by releasing an internal statement saying “the notion of giving-birth-driven growth is based on nationalism which the LKP criticized to date, and fascism to consider giving birth as a tool for growth.”
The progressive Justice Party floor leader Youn So-ha also criticized Kim, saying “it is an absurd idea to link giving birth to a tool for growth and should be criticized for making the idea seem legitimate.”
Youn added, “This way of thinking and term should be abolished.”
Rep. Kim Su-min, floor spokeswoman for the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party (BMP), released a comment Wednesday saying “the LKP proposed short-term measures by spending a large amount of taxes, not a fundamental solution.”
Former National Assembly speaker Chung Se-kyun also criticized the LKP's floor leader for using crude language.
Kim Sung-tae responded in a Facebook post saying “it is not appropriate for a former Assembly speaker to criticize the main opposition party's floor leader who was critical of the ruling party.”