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PPP interim chief slams DP for about-face on presidential budget

Published: 03 Jul. 2025, 14:37

Rep. Song Eon-seog, emergency committee leader and floor leader of the conservative People Power Party, speaks during a party lawmakers’ meeting at the National Assembly in western Seoul on July 3. [YONHAP]

Rep. Song Eon-seog, leader of the conservative People Power Party's (PPP) emergency committee, lashed out at the liberal Democratic Party (DP) on Thursday, accusing it of hypocrisy for seeking to boost the presidential office’s special activity budget just months after cutting it entirely.

“They have no sense of shame or conscience. This is the ultimate display of double standards and duplicity,” Song said during a PPP leadership meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul.

Song criticized the DP for pushing to increase special activity funds for the presidential office through a supplementary budget, even though the same party had eliminated the funds just half a year ago for the former Yoon Suk Yeol administration.

Special activity funds are allocated to government agencies for state-related activities that require confidentiality, such as for intelligence operations and investigations, but their use has been criticized for being spent without proper oversight — such as nondisclosure in cases where receipts are not required.

“They were shouting that we had to pass this supplementary budget urgently because of livelihoods. Now it turns out what was really urgent was the presidential office’s special activity funds,” Song said.

The lawmaker pointed to comments made by President Lee Jae Myung, then-DP chairman, at the time of the cuts.

“Back when they wiped out the presidential office’s special activity funds six months ago, President Lee said, ‘It’s baffling to claim you can’t run the government without this money. It’s truly absurd to argue that there’s a problem because we didn’t increase the funds.'"

Song also recalled remarks by then-DP floor leader Park Chan-dae.

“Park declared, ‘The government won’t grind to a halt just because we cut the presidential office’s special activity funds.’ But now, only a month into Lee’s presidency, the DP is demanding an increase," he said.

"Were they banging their fists on the table only to say they can’t manage without these special funds? That the country has ground to a halt without them? As President Lee himself said back then, it’s truly absurd.”

President Lee Jae Myung answers questions from reporters during his first official press conference marking 30 days in office at the state guesthouse of Cheong Wa Dae in Jongno District, central Seoul, on July 3. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Criticism of Lee

Song said Lee’s first month in office had failed to meet expectations, accusing the administration of undermining the separation of powers from the very start.

“They kicked things off by trying to seize control of the judiciary,” he said. “The DP is openly pressuring the courts by pushing through a bill to halt the president’s trials, and the judiciary has begun to cave, repeatedly delaying his cases. Meanwhile, personnel disasters continue.”

Song dismissed the new administration’s appointments with a pointed phrase: “It’s basically the ‘lawyer’s law,’ the ‘criminal’s law’ and the ‘conflict-of-interest law’ — in short, a government of crooks,” he said.

He claimed Lee’s personal attorneys now occupy key posts across the presidential office.

“One lawyer who defended President Lee in the illicit North Korea money transfer case was even appointed planning director of the National Intelligence Service, overseeing its structure and budget. It’s as if the president is handing out public positions like personal gifts.”

Song also alleged that convicted criminals were filling top posts.

“The prime minister has five criminal convictions, so do the presidential chief of staff and the official who was behind the Druking opinion-rigging scandal, who’s now heading the Commission for Regional Era,” he said, referring to a 2018 scandal in which an influential blogger known by the handle "Druking" and his network manipulated public opinion by artificially boosting or downvoting online comments supporting former President Moon Jae-in of the DP.

“The labor minister nominee has five convictions for drunk driving and assault.”

He added, “The nominee for SME and startup minister has a conviction for distributing obscene materials, while the veterans affairs minister was drawing salaries from five different places and justified it by saying ‘even drinking coffee is work.’"

"It’s literally a government of criminals. People might start saying, ‘If you want to get ahead in the Lee Jae Myung government, you’d better commit a crime first.’”

Song also voiced concerns about the administration’s handling of external issues.

“We’re facing a tariff cliff with the United States in just a week, but President Lee hasn’t even managed to meet U.S. President Donald Trump once. The public is increasingly worried about how we’ll avoid this tariff bomb.”

Rep. Song Eon-seog, emergency committee interim leader and floor leader of the conservative People Power Party, center, greets lawmakers ahead of a party meeting at the National Assembly in western Seoul on July 3. [YONHAP]

PPP reform

At the same meeting, Song promised that the PPP would not repeat its past mistakes and would embark on a politics of "hope and responsibility."

“Today, we pledge to start afresh on a foundation of reflection and determination not to repeat past failures,” he said.

He introduced Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo as the new chairman of the PPP’s reform committee.

“We have invited Rep. Ahn to lead our innovation committee,” Song said. “With his outstanding capabilities and experience, I believe he will present a blueprint for change and reform that resonates with the public.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]