[아침신문 솎아보기] Suspicion of’election use’ in discussions on national disaster subsidies

In the new year, major passport holders are claiming the 4th disaster subsidy for all citizens. In general, among the media outlets, the propensity to progress is positive for the universal payment of disaster assistance, and the propensity for conservatives is negative. However, there is a common point that it is difficult to raise suspicion that this passport is for election purposes. However, there is a temperature difference between the grounds of such criticism and the intensity of criticism. I looked at the morning newspapers on the 6th.

In this discussion of the disaster subsidies, Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun and Lee Nak-yeon, together with the Democratic Party representative, discussed the possibility of distributing disaster subsidies to citizens of the country, and then passport personnel jumped in. The Seoul Newspaper (Let’s open the possibility of the Democratic Party… led by Lee Jae-myung’s national support fund) said that Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myeong insisted on a larger scale than last year, insisting on a lump sum payment of volatile local currency. It was interpreted as “going to go”.

However, it is known that the Democratic Party leadership should first pay and review the third disaster subsidy. The Seoul newspaper said, “The key officials of the party have to see the economic effect of the disaster subsidies, the spread of the corona, and the economic situation,” and said, “It takes time to materialize.” Other officials also said, “There is no actual discussion,” saying, “The Ministry of Information and Communication didn’t ask the Ministry of Information to review (additional).” .

In the case of the Blue House, the emphasis is on intensive support for vulnerable insects. At a cabinet meeting on the 5th, President Moon Jae-in said, “The weight of the pain caused by Corona 19 is never equal,” and “The government will give the highest priority to sharing the weight of this pain.” The Hankook Ilbo (‘National Disaster Support Fund’ …no means “election use” Seongto) said, “Kim Sang-jo, head of the Blue House Policy Office, said in a media interview last month,'(Disaster support fund) is the thickest support to those who have suffered the most damage. It is both efficient and fair,” he said. “It is a remark that has a clear difference from the democratic party’s claim to provide national disaster subsidies.”

The newspaper continued, “The financial burden is also a variable. In order to pay the national disaster support fund, it is inevitable to organize an additional budget plan. The government has already spent 4.5 trillion won (56%) out of the 8.6 trillion won reserve this year while organizing the third disaster support fund last month. Last year, the total budget for disaster assistance was 13 trillion won.” “If the government organizes an additional budget from the beginning of the year, the national finance will inevitably worsen. Because of this, it is impossible to rule out the struggle between the parties.”

While raising the criticism that the people’s strength is “for the April election” (Hoyoung Joo), it is not easy to oppose the disaster subsidy itself. The Hankyoreh (the ruling party, which had been dismissed before the disaster subsidy was paid… the’national subsidy’) said, “The opposition party is in a perplexing situation. This is because the opposition party believes that the worst election scenario can be realized if the payment is made before the by-election in April. The power of the people is focused on criticizing the spontaneity and inconsistency of policy making.”

The Hankyoreh also said, “The provision of disaster support funds to the public with high intensity distances and increased consumption in mind is contradictory. In addition, they are not free from the criticism that it is’election use’. “Only on the 5th, a plan to spend the 3rd disaster subsidy for the affected industries and the underprivileged was resolved at the State Council. Even before this subsidy was paid, it was again’National Subsidies’. He pointed out that speaking up is subject to criticism.” “There is also a growing voice that we should focus more on supporting the victims and underprivileged through more comprehensive and systematic measures.”

The Hankyoreh editorial (measures against’corona polarization’ rather than’national disaster subsidies’) emphasized that “it is not a rush.” “I think it is possible to discuss the national disaster subsidies as a way of stimulating the economy to overcome the corona. However, it is not too late to review after the third corona epidemic, which is the fire of the foot, subsides. Even in the fall of last year, I started the consumption coupon event and stopped it as the’second fashion’ broke out.” The Hankyoreh also said, “It contradicts the government’s and ruling party’s existing policy direction of intensive support to the victims. In addition, the 3rd disaster subsidies have not yet been paid to small businesses and the underprivileged. If the third coronavirus epidemic does not break, a situation may arise that requires the 4th and 5th disaster subsidies for the affected industries. A careful and calm approach is needed.” “It may be misunderstood that it is for elections ahead of the by-election in April. The national disaster subsidies paid before the general election in April last year helped the ruling party win. But this time, it could be headwind.”

The Kyunghyang Shinmun did not mention the national disaster subsidies, but ordered strengthened responses to the vulnerable. In an editorial on the day (more than 1,000 corona deaths, vulnerable groups and facilities need to be strengthened), “The number of severely ill patients with Corona 19 increased to 386 on the 5th. Management and cure for patients with severe and severe gastric disorders may be the last hurdle until vaccination and treatment are administered as early as next month. The government should stably hold the corona 19 flames by placing high-intensity distances, and preemptively increase the speed of inspection and quarantine of vulnerable facilities and the elderly to reduce the number of deaths. There is an urgent need to expand alternative facilities that can provide care and treatment for infected people in nursing homes and nursing homes right now. “There should be no repeated cases of cohort quarantine failure in which only victims poured out’without preparations’, and dying in bed waiting.” did.

Some newspapers criticized the discussion of the national disaster support fund by nailing it as’election use’. The Kookmin Ilbo criticized in an editorial (this time is it the’all citizens’ disaster support fund before the election), “It will not be wrong to observe that the Democratic Party will launch this issue in earnest by February and March.” It is pointed out that there are problems with both the target and timing of the disaster support payment. The newspaper said, “At the time of the first payment last year, there was a justification that there was insufficient information on the affected companies and industries, and speed was important. However, as time went by, a lot of information about the victims, their industries, and the extent of the damages has been accumulated.” He said, “The abnormality of randomly investing national finances in accordance with the political schedule is now becoming a new standard.”

The Chosun Ilbo editorial (4th disaster support fund luck, elections approaching before the 3rd start) said, “Even in the US, where the burden of national debt is much less because you can freely print the dollar, there are many negative views on’indiscriminate payment’. “At the annual meeting of the American Economics Association a few days ago, economic scholars assessed that the massive indiscriminate cash pouring did not help to recover consumption and only increased the financial burden.” He said, “I already pay 300 billion won a day. The government debt from 660 trillion won at the time of the Moon Jae-in administration’s inception will increase to 956 trillion won this year. It is a matter of time that it exceeds 1,000 trillion won when additional supplements are made. Can I do this by saying that I will win the election once?” he wrote.

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