President Lee Jae-myung proposed on the 29th expanding government support for discounts on agricultural and livestock products during next year's Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays to 1 trillion won ($720 million). He suggested tapping the Future Response Fund to cover the cost. The proposal comes as opposition parties continue to criticize the fund as a discretionary pot of money, setting up a likely clash between rival parties.
Speaking at a Cabinet meeting he chaired at the Blue House, Lee raised the issue of discount support for farm products. "Because we limited the traditional market discount program to 300 markets, there are a lot of complaints" from markets left out, he said. The government spent about 149 billion won on the largest-ever discount program for agricultural and livestock products ahead of Chuseok, but coverage for traditional markets was capped at 300 nationwide.
"The discount support budget was originally around 100 billion won, and we increased it for this Chuseok," Lee said. "For next year, covering both Lunar New Year and Chuseok, I wonder if we should raise it sharply to somewhere close to 1 trillion won." He added that the government should "get help from the National Assembly."
Park Hong-keun, minister of economy and planning, responded that 160 billion won had been allocated in next year's main budget and that the amount would be increased during parliamentary review. Lee then said the Future Response Fund could be used. "It helps ease polarization. There are plenty of ways to do it," he said.
Lee also urged government ministries to exercise autonomy and responsibility in personnel decisions at the director-general level and below. "As former ministers would know, the Blue House defers as much as possible to the working ministries' views on appointments of directors-general within each ministry and agency," he said. "Since we are granting autonomy, I hope you will be fully aware of the responsibility and make good replacements with capable personnel."
Citing reports that police officers received only light disciplinary action despite fabricating a case, Lee said: "If you are going to discipline someone, at a minimum you should bar them from police work altogether or dismiss them. Light disciplinary action makes no sense."
Lee, who returned on the 27th from a trip to the United States and Mexico, also mentioned meeting U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick during his visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Turning to Kim Jung-kwan, minister of trade, industry and energy, Lee publicly praised Kim's negotiating skills with Washington. "Secretary Lutnick said our minister is extremely exhausting to deal with. He said he's tough," Lee said.
On housing supply, Lee told Hong Ji-sun, the new minister of land, infrastructure and transport, that "the fate of the nation depends on it." He urged Hong to "consider bold supply measures" and to "explain in detail to the public the changing trends following the recent increase in construction starts and move-in volumes in the greater Seoul area," asking her to do her utmost to secure land for housing supply.
