Jung Jeom-sik, the floor leader of the People Power Party, intensified his criticism of the Lee Jae-myung administration's key economic policies on September 8. He labeled the Honam semiconductor cluster and next year's budget as 'plunder' and described the government's real estate policies as 'promise fraud.'
During his speech at the National Assembly, Jung stated, "The government is infringing on the people's rights to life, safety, participation, and property."
He characterized the government's push for the Honam semiconductor cluster as 'corporate plunder,' asserting, "The worst corporate plunder committed by the government is the Honam semiconductor project," and criticized the disregard for procedural fairness.
In this context, the government is promoting the new semiconductor cluster in the Honam region as a key project among its 'three mega-projects.' The day before, Kim Min-seok, the leader of the Democratic Party, emphasized the passage of a special law to support mega-projects as a top legislative priority during his speech.
Jung also criticized the proposed budget of 820 trillion won, calling it 'populism.' He remarked, "Managing finances with a 'live for today' mentality shifts the burden of debt onto future generations. This is not future preparedness but future plunder. The state is deceiving the people with a shell game."
Regarding real estate policies, he labeled them as 'promise fraud' and called for their complete abolition. He stated, "The president promised during the campaign not to use taxes to control real estate, but the policies implemented after taking office are the opposite. This is 'promise fraud.' I urge the complete abolition of real estate policies that plunder the lives of the people."
Jung also proposed alternatives for real estate at the party level, stating, "We will eliminate regulations on private redevelopment and reconstruction to significantly increase housing supply," and added, "We will ensure that single-homeowners do not have to worry about taxes." He further announced plans to reduce acquisition taxes for first-time homebuyers and support ultra-low-interest loans for young couples.
Additionally, regarding the constitutional amendment mentioned by Kim the previous day, Jung made it clear that "there will be no amendments under this government."
During the speech, there were several interruptions due to loud exchanges among lawmakers. National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik intervened, urging cooperation to maintain a respectful atmosphere for the proceedings, after which Jung continued his remarks.
Following his speech, Jung reiterated on his Facebook that he presented the People Power Party's alternatives to correct the government's mismanagement and improve the lives of the people, emphasizing that they would be implemented through legislation, policy, and budget.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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