The Democratic Party of Korea said Monday it will pass next year's budget bill within the legal deadline of Dec. 2, praising President Lee Jae Myung's budget policy address to the National Assembly as "a budget that prepares South Korea for the future."
Democratic Party Chief Spokesperson Park Sung-jun said at a briefing that the proposed budget was "one that lifts the shadow of inequality and polarization and builds a country where Seoul, the greater metropolitan area and the regions can all prosper together."
Park said the budget was "a forward-looking plan to make South Korea irreplaceable and a world-leading nation," adding that the Lee administration had protected the economy and people's livelihoods through an active fiscal role despite the shock of the war in the Middle East.
Park said the People Power Party must also approach the budget process with a sense of responsibility, and pledged that the Democratic Party would do its utmost to pass the bill within the legal deadline so that funds could be disbursed where needed and on time.
Supreme Council Member Park Seon-won wrote on Facebook that President Lee had called for moving beyond "K-shaped growth" that benefits only some toward growth that lifts everyone. Park said the Democratic Party would scrutinize the budget with people's livelihoods as its benchmark and pass it within the legal deadline so that economic gains translate into jobs and better living standards for the public.
The Democratic Party also hit back at the People Power Party, which held a rally outside the Assembly chamber before Lee's address began, saying the opposition was not acting like a responsible party. Floor Spokesperson Jeon Eun-su said at a briefing, "Is it the posture of a responsible opposition party to oppose something before even hearing what it contains?" Jeon said the People Power Party acts as though delaying investment in the future is the only way to fulfill fiscal responsibility, and argued that if the party is worried about waste, it should filter that out during budget deliberations, and if it has concerns about fund management, it should push for stronger oversight mechanisms.
Speaking separately with reporters, Chief Spokesperson Park said, "The budget is not a matter of political squabbling — it is truly a question of the quality of people's lives," adding that treating it as mere political propaganda "can only be seen as a fatal misstep by the People Power Party."
bigroot@heraldcorp.com
