PPP spokesperson criticizes Democratic Party over youth AI budget cut, rushed votes

The People Power Party caucus at the Seoul Metropolitan Council criticized the Democratic Party of Korea on Sunday over the elimination of a youth AI support budget and the passage of an ordinance on public-sector jobs for people with disabilities, arguing that the council should have more carefully assessed the practical impact of such measures before putting them to a vote.

Choi Won-seon, the PPP's proportional-representation spokesperson on the council, issued a statement Friday saying that "major agenda items were pushed through the 339th extraordinary session of the Seoul Metropolitan Council without sufficient deliberation or social consensus."

The youth AI policy drew Choi's sharpest criticism. The Democratic Party, in a majority vote, eliminated the entire 5.62 billion won ($4.2 million) budget for Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's flagship "Youth AI Growth Rights" program — an initiative designed to improve young people's access to and practical use of AI. The PPP said cutting the funding entirely warranted reconsideration, given that AI proficiency increasingly shapes young people's prospects in employment and entrepreneurship.

The party also questioned the Democratic Party's consistency after it held a forum on youth AI policy support following the budget cut. Discussing ways to strengthen young people's AI capabilities while simultaneously eliminating the funding to carry out those plans, the PPP said, sent contradictory signals.

"Forums on youth policy are necessary, but the budget and support structures to actually implement that policy must be in place as well," Choi said. "The relevant funding must be revisited so we can close the gap in young people's access to and use of AI."

Choi also raised concerns about the passage of an amendment to the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on Promoting Employment of Persons with Disabilities and Supporting Vocational Rehabilitation.

Drawing on data compiled by the PPP, Choi said 50.4 percent of job activities logged by past participants in a rights-centered public employment program had involved rallies and protests. Before reviving the program, she said, an objective assessment of its outcomes and employment effects was needed, along with structural improvements. Separate from the policy goal of protecting the labor rights of people with disabilities, she added, any program drawing on public funds should be evaluated on whether it leads to greater self-reliance, stronger vocational skills and sustainable employment.

"We must examine whether reintroducing this system without analyzing the performance of the previous program and making structural improvements is truly consistent with helping people with disabilities achieve genuine independence and stable employment," Choi said.

The PPP also expressed regret over the handling of a resolution urging legislative amendments to strengthen the public accountability of private schools. Because the measure touches on a potential conflict between greater public oversight and the operational autonomy of private institutions, Choi said, the council should have sought broader input from educators, school administrators and other stakeholders before proceeding.

Choi warned that pushing through major policies on the strength of a legislative majority risks generating friction and social costs during implementation. "A majority of seats does not, by itself, guarantee that a policy is sound or that it will be accepted in practice," she said. "The more directly an agenda item affects people's daily lives, the more it requires thorough discussion and a process of adjustment."

The PPP caucus said it would monitor the impact of the ordinance and resolution on education and employment, and would continue to press for the restoration of the cut youth AI support budget.