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| Members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's Supreme Council hold a meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Friday, with protective partitions being set up to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Yonhap |
By Jung Da-min
The political parties are reviewing whether to again introduce emergency disaster relief to help people overcome the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, following a new outbreak.
If adopted, it will be the second such round of funding following the first in May when up to 1 million won ($840) was provided to about 21.7 million households regardless of income level.
Officials from the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), relevant ministries and Cheong Wa Dae held a closed-door meeting Sunday to discuss whether the government needed to draw up a fourth extra budget, and should it provide more relief funds. Since earlier this month, the ruling bloc has reviewed a possible fourth emergency budget to deal with damage from the heavy rainfall which hit many regions.
The DPK's leaders said the issue of introducing a second batch of relief funds should be reviewed in an economic crisis.
"The country's economy will deteriorate over the next two months with the rapid spread of COVID-19," DPK floor leader Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon said at a party meeting last week.
He said the party policy planning committee would analyze the economic situation to make a decision on further disaster relief funding.
The idea is supported by the main opposition as well. Leaders of the United Future Party (UFP) said they would cooperate with the ruling party to overcome the pandemic crisis, including introducing relief funds, saying, "There is no ruling or opposition in an emergency situation that puts people's life and safety at risk."
But politicians have mixed opinions on whether the funds, if provided, should be offered to every citizen regardless of income level as in the first one, with some DPK members saying the money should only be given to those in the middle and bottom income groups. In the first round, a household with four or more members received 1 million won; a three-person household, 800,000 won; a two-person one, 600,000 won; and a single-person, 400,000 won. An extra budget bill worth 12.2 trillion won was passed to provide the funding.
"I believe that the party and the government will negotiate, but rather than providing the second disaster relief funds to all households, it would be better to provide them to the middle and lower income groups," Rep. Jin Sung-joon of the DPK wrote on Facebook, Saturday. "These people need direct and prompt support to deal with severe damage to their livelihoods due to the COVID-19 outbreak and it is necessary to leave even a small financial capacity to prepare for the possibility of an even more serious situation."
Another DPK lawmaker, Shin Dong-kun, said giving disaster relief funds to all citizens was against the common sense of welfare.
"If people in the lower 50 percent in terms of income level receive a double amount of funds, it could better revitalize the regional economy and help alleviate inequality," Shin wrote on Facebook.
However, Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki has expressed a negative view on introducing a fourth extra budget and further disaster relief funds, citing financial stability.
Meanwhile, Rep. Cho Jung-hun of the minor opposition Transition Korea Party claimed on Facebook, Saturday, that money for the relief funds could be secured by reducing the monthly salary of public servants by 20 percent, calling for "communal sacrifice."
But this idea received heavy criticism from internet users, who urged lawmakers to reduce their own salaries first.
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