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The Star
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
South Korea's Cabinet approves universal cash grant amid controversy
SEOUL: President Lee Jae Myung convened a Cabinet meeting on June 19 and approved a 15.2 trillion won (US$0.011 trillion) budget allocation for a handout of cash-equivalent vouchers to all South Koreans to boost consumption amid growing recession fears. The move came just hours after Lee returned from a three-day trip to Canada. The liberal president reviewed the spending package, which the government says is aimed at reviving the sluggish consumer demand that has left many small business owners on the brink of collapse. 'Now is the time to use the state budget, given the gravity of the pain ordinary people are suffering,' Lee said during the meeting. Stressing a pressing need to stimulate the national economy, Lee said, 'If you spend money for some reason, I think the benefits should at least be enjoyed fairly by the people.' The one-off universal cash-equivalent payout will amount to at least 150,000 won to all South Koreans. Those who cannot afford basic living expenses due to extreme poverty and inability to get a job would be eligible for 400,000 won, while those categorised as 'near poor' in South Korea will receive 300,000 won. In addition to the above, people in the bottom 90 per cent of the income bracket will each receive an additional 100,000 won. Second Vice-Finance Minister Lim Ki-keun estimated some 13 trillion won in consumption was anticipated. However, Seoul's move to dole out a universal cash handout to all South Koreans regardless of age, gender and income level has triggered criticism. Ho Jun-seok, spokesperson of the conservative opposition People Power Party, said in a statement on June 19 that the cash handout scheme 'sparks criticism that Lee was rewarding (voters) for the election victory'. He also expressed concerns that such a universal payout scheme could lead to the birth of populism in South Korea. 'A supplementary budget to boost the economy would be necessary, but it is uncertain that spreading money to people could lead to an economic rebound,' he said. In 2020, as South Korea was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, former liberal president Moon Jae-in's administration extended cash coupons to households to shore up domestic consumption, starting in May 2020. However, not everyone was subject to the payout scheme. Only those who belonged to the bottom 70 per cent of the income bracket were eligible for the state subsidies. Back then, a household of four people or more was eligible for one million won for all household members combined, while three-person households received an 800,000 won payout. Single-person households received 400,000 won in support and two-person households got 600,000 won. The Moon administration later in September rolled out an additional batch of vouchers for freelancers, family with non-adults and small business owners, among others. Asked whether the scheme would cover foreign nationals in Korea, a Finance Ministry official said: 'Foreigners are not currently included, but exceptions could be made through task force discussions. The specific recipients will be finalised through those discussions.' About a decade ago, Lee, as the mayor of Seongnam in Gyeonggi Province, sought to introduce plans to offer school uniforms to students for free, install a facility for free postpartum care services and introduce a basic income for young people. Such plans hit a snag as Gyeonggi province opposed Seongnam's plan, and the litigation had been ongoing until Lee was elected the governor of Gyeonggi Province in 2019. As the chair of the then-main opposition party while disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol was incumbent, Lee led a 13 trillion won proposal to allow all citizens to receive 250,000 won in August 2024 despite government opposition. The Bill was then vetoed by Yoon, and Parliament was unable to override the presidential veto. The budget proposal on June 19, as part of the 30.5 trillion won supplementary budget, will be submitted to the National Assembly for final approval on June 23. A day before, Lee is scheduled to hold talks with leaders of major parties, including Kim Byung-kee, floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea; Kim Yong-tae, interim leader of the main opposition People Power Party and its whip Song Eon-seog, at his official residence in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, according to his senior political secretary Woo Sang-ho on June 19. A budget Bill requires at least half of the votes of lawmakers present at the plenary session to be passed, while at least half of all lawmakers must be present at the voting session. Out of all 298 lawmakers, 167 are members of the ruling Democratic Party. South Korea's 2025 annual budget was confirmed to be 673.3 trillion won in December. Upon parliamentary approval, the extra budget spending package would follow a 13.8 trillion won budget scheme aimed at supporting regions affected by massive wildfires in March and tackling uncertainties posed by US tariff threats. The Bill gained Cabinet approval in mid-April and the parliamentary green light in early May. - The Korea Herald/ANN
AFP
a day ago
- Politics
- AFP
S. Korean population and ballot figures used to resurface baseless election fraud claims
"Choo Mi-ae was elected representative in Hanam-A district through voter fraud," declares the Korean-language caption of a graphic shared in a Facebook post on June 16, 2025. Choo, a six-term lawmaker and former justice minister, during the April 2024 general election (archived link). The post, however, questions the legitimacy of the vote. Superimposed text on the graphic reads: "You call this a country? A nation ruled by bandits!" It then lists purported voting figures from the district's Shinjang 1-dong "Total population: 6,950. Number of eligible voters: 6,467. Number of votes cast: 7,179." Image Screenshot of the false Facebook post, captured on June 17, 2025 The same graphic alleging voter fraud in , and has resurfaced since centre-left candidate Lee Jae-myung's resounding victory in South Korea's June 3 presidential election (archived link). "The problem is that the People Power Party chooses to ignore voter fraud, so what is the point of this evidence," read a comment on one of the posts. Another said: "It is evident that Choo Mi-ae's election was fraudulent." Official data from the South Korean government and the country's election watchdog, however, shows the figures used in the graphic are inaccurate. Population and voting data Information from the Ministry of Interior shows the total population of Shinjang 1-dong at the time of the April 2024 general election was 6,902 -- not 6,950 as claimed in the falsely shared graphic (archived link). According to South Korea's National Election Commission (NEC), the number of eligible voters in Shinjang 1-dong during the April 2024 general election was 7,179 -- not 6,467 (archived link). The NEC data also shows 4,719 votes were cast -- not 7,179. "Even if the number of ballots cast had exceeded the population of the neighbourhood, that would not constitute evidence of fraud," an NEC spokesperson told AFP on June 17. South Korea allows voters to cast their ballots outside their district of residence during early voting (archived link). "This means that non-residents can legally vote in a different area from where they reside, causing the number of votes cast in the district to exceed the number of residents," the spokesperson said. This misunderstanding has become a recurring theme in South Korean elections, especially among groups alleging electoral fraud. The NEC issued a statement on June 1 in response to separate allegations of election fraud in Buan County in the North Jeolla province, saying the number of votes corresponds to the total number of electors who cast their votes at ballot stations in the county, "not just those who reside in the area" (archived link). AFP has debunked multiple false claims alleging voter fraud in South Korean elections.
![[Exclusive] Moon-era inter-Korean military pact needs to be restored: spy chief nominee](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F06%2F18%2Fnews-p.v1.20250618.e7a54f7b240445ff8427fb793180d8b4_T1.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
![[Exclusive] Moon-era inter-Korean military pact needs to be restored: spy chief nominee](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fkoreaherald.com.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
[Exclusive] Moon-era inter-Korean military pact needs to be restored: spy chief nominee
South Korea's spy chief nominee Lee Jong-seok said he believes the now-suspended inter-Korean military pact, reached between former President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2018, should be restored. According to his response to the National Assembly's questions submitted Wednesday, a day ahead of his confirmation hearing, Lee said that reinstating the pact, which was suspended by North Korea in 2023 and by the Yoon administration the next year, was "most desirable." "It is my opinion that restoring the Sept. 19 military agreement is most desirable," he said, in a written response, accessed by The Korea Herald. "But if it is not possible to restore the agreement, I think it is necessary to take commensurate measures to reduce military tensions between the two Koreas." Lee was also critical of Yoon's China policies. Lee said the previous administration "did not adequately manage the relations between South Korea and China, viewing China only through the lens of ideology and causing unnecessary conflicts." Lee said that when it comes to South Korea's relations with China, a key trade partner, the two countries "pursue areas of common interest." But he added that when South Korea's "national interests are infringed upon," the country needed to "take measures based on principles." Lee denied allegations, raised by some within the opposition People Power Party, of his having "pro-North Korea views." "I absolutely cannot agree with the claims that I am pro-North Korea only because I have studied North Korea and the Korean Peninsula in depth," he said. "I believe that in order to achieve denuclearization and build a lasting peace in the Korean Peninsula, one must have a deep understanding of, and insight into North Korea and the surrounding region." On North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's governing style, Lee said he took after his grandfather, Kim Il-sung. "Kim Jong-un's governing style is more in line with Kim Il-sung's in that he favors more contact with the people, on-the-ground leadership, and public meetings," Lee said. "This is different from his father Kim Jong-il who preferred to rule behind closed doors and refrained from interacting with the public." When asked about where he stands on the 2020 shooting murder of a South Korean government official by North Korean troops, Lee said he was "not aware of all the facts" as he was at the time a scholar at a policy institute. "If I am appointed as the director of the National Intelligence Service, I will look into the matter," Lee said. In 2022, the NIS filed a criminal complaint against its former director Park Jie-won, who is now a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker, for allegedly destroying the spy agency's confidential materials related to the South Korean official's death. The criminal trial for Park and other high-level officials at the time is still underway. Lee awaits a confirmation hearing by the National Assembly, slated for Thursday.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Ex-history lecturer offers W1 billion reward for election fraud tip-off
Jeon Han-gil, a former history lecturer turned right-wing figure, said he would pay 1 billion won ($728,000) for a decisive tip-off related to alleged election fraud. In a video uploaded Tuesday on his YouTube channel, Jeon said, 'Send me any decisive tip-offs, whistleblower reports or evidence materials about a rigged election. If it's to save South Korea, I'm willing to give 1 billion won from my own assets. I will definitely keep this promise.' Jeon added, 'Even President Lee Jae Myung will like this,' saying he is formally proposing the idea to the president, former People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo and media outlets. Last month, Jeon co-produced and released a documentary film "Korean Election Fraud, God's Will?," which centers on claims of fraud in last year's general election. He viewed the film at a theater with former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has also raised allegations of election fraud.
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Slush fund past dogs prime minister nominee
Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok is facing growing calls from the main opposition party to withdraw from his nomination over political slush fund scandals that occurred in the 2000s. The four-term liberal lawmaker, who was nominated for prime minister by President Lee Jae Myung on June 4, was convicted by the country's top court in 2005 of violating the Political Funds Act by receiving 200 million won ($146,500) in illegal funds from conglomerate SK Group in 2002. He received the funds during his campaign for Seoul mayor as the candidate for the Millennium Democratic Party, the main liberal party at the time. The Supreme Court in 2005 sentenced Kim to eight months in prison, two years of probation and the forfeiture of 200 million won, finding him guilty of violating the Political Funds Act. Additionally, the Supreme Court in 2010 found him guilty in a separate political slush fund case, in which he received illegal funds worth a combined 720 million won from three of his aides in 2007. He was fined 6 million won and forfeited 720 million won for violating the Political Funds Act again. The main opposition People Power Party has recently ramped up its calls for Kim to withdraw his nomination. The main opposition members of the National Assembly's special committee on personnel hearing, including People Power Party Rep. Bae Joon-young, claimed Tuesday that "candidate (Kim) and the Democratic Party of Korea are not cooperative" with the preparations for the prime minister nominee's upcoming parliamentary hearing. The committee announced Tuesday afternoon that Kim's confirmation hearing has been scheduled for June 24 to 25. The 13-member committee, tasked with handling the nominee's confirmation hearing, is formed of seven Democratic Party lawmakers, five People Power Party lawmakers and one non-parliamentary member. The People Power Party members of the committee urged Kim and the ruling party to submit evidence and summon witnesses tied to multiple accusations surrounding Kim, including his political slush fund case. People Power Party spokesperson Ho Jun-seok even proposed launching a special counsel investigation into the charges in a Monday commentary. Kim has repeatedly brushed off his court convictions as mere 'allegations.' "The targeted investigation (against me by the prosecution) did not end the first time," Kim wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday. The post echoes his Facebook post shared the previous day, where he wrote, "the Political Funds Act case is essentially a targeted investigation of me by a political prosecution — it is a targeted investigation that does not even make clear who demanded the political funding and why." Kim said that his party at the time asked for corporate donations without his knowledge. President Lee, meanwhile, downplayed the scandal surrounding Kim when speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Canada for the G7 summit early Tuesday. "I asked Kim in person and he explained that they were mere allegations, which he can sufficiently explain at the confirmation hearing," Lee told reporters. Besides the political slush fund scandals, Kim is accused of abusing his power as a lawmaker to aid his son's extracurricular projects and help him gain admission to a US university. Critics are also questioning the master's degree Kim claims to have received from Tsinghua University in China in 2010, which was the same year he ran for mayor of Busan and failed.
