DP urges Yoon to consent to cash handouts, probe into Marine's death

Politics

Published: 08 May. 2024, 16:33 Updated: 08 May. 2024, 17:38

DP urges Yoon to consent to cash handouts, probe into Marine's death

Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung, second from right, listens to the party's floor leader-elect Park Chan-dae speak during a meeting of the DP's Supreme Council on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

The liberal Democratic Party (DP) on Wednesday called on President Yoon Suk Yeol to acquiesce to its plan to distribute cash handouts of 250,000 won ($180) to every person and a special counsel probe into the Defense Ministry's handling of a Marine's death.

The DP’s floor leader-elect, Park Chan-dae, made the demands during a meeting of the party’s Supreme Council at the National Assembly, held a day before the president's press conference to mark the beginning of his third year in office.

Arguing that the DP’s landslide victory in the recent general election is the “people’s report card on the [president’s] management of state affairs over the past two years,” Park urged Yoon to acknowledge what the DP has characterized as his administration’s past mistakes at his upcoming press conference.

“The people have spoken and found the president’s management of state affairs and his attitude wanting,” he said, adding that the DP “hopes that the [president’s] press conference isn’t an event where he insists that his wrong answers are the right ones.”

The DP won 175 seats in the 300-member National Assembly in the April 10 general election while its rival, Yoon’s People Power Party (PPP), secured just 108 seats.

Park further urged the president to accept DP leader Lee Jae-myung’s election promise to hand out 250,000 won to every person in the form of regional currencies that can only be spent in their local area.

Arguing that consumption fueled by the cash handouts would provide “a lifeline to both small business owners and self-employed people and revitalize the stagnant economy,” Park questioned “whether there is a need to dither over such a proven stimulus method.”

The PPP previously criticized the DP leader’s stimulus plan as a “populist policy” that could aggravate inflation.

PPP floor leader Yun Jae-ok has also argued that the DP leader’s stimulus plan would add 13 trillion won to the existing national debt of 1,127 trillion won ($817 billion).

During his remarks on Wednesday, the DP’s floor leader-elect also urged Yoon to accept a bill mandating a special counsel probe into allegations that the Defense Ministry attempted to meddle in an official investigation into the drowning of Marine Cpl. Chae Su-geun during a flood rescue operation last year.

Although the PPP has argued that a special counsel probe should only be established after the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) completes its current probe into Defense Ministry officials, Park argued that there is “no reason” to delay parliamentary action.

“If they are truly dedicated to protecting the lives of our youth and our people, conservatives should be more proactive in uncovering the truth,” Park argued.

Using its current majority in the National Assembly, the DP railroaded a bill calling for a special counsel probe last week, but the presidential office has signaled that Yoon will likely reject the bill after the PPP requested the president exercise his veto.

However, the DP adopted a resolution at Park’s appointment ceremony on Friday to force another parliamentary vote on the bill once the new 22nd National Assembly convenes at the end of the month.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]