Park Soo-young, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, raised procedural concerns regarding the government's push for the Future Response Fund and called for a reassessment of the initiative. She demanded that President Lee withdraw the fund entirely.
During a press conference held at the National Assembly, Park stated, "The proposed legislation for the Future Response Fund and the amendments to the National Finance Act should not be designated as budget-related bills."
She highlighted procedural issues, asserting that if disagreements arise among ministries during the legislative notice period, there should be a mediation process or a postponement of the legislation. Park claimed that the Ministry of Finance submitted review opinions regarding the deletion of seven clauses from the Future Response Fund law and three clauses from the National Finance Act, but these were ignored.
Park also criticized the legislative process, noting that the Future Response Fund law passed the Cabinet meeting just a week after its announcement on August 24, following the Ministry of Planning and Finance's assertions. She described the fund as a "monstrosity of unilateral decision-making" by the Ministry of Planning and Finance, which disregarded requests from the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs to delete and amend clauses.
Additionally, she revealed a plea from a civil servant posted on the Ministry of Finance's internal bulletin board, which stated that the Future Response Fund ignores fundamental financial principles and merely shifts burdens onto future generations.
Park urged the Democratic Party to "reopen discussions from scratch," emphasizing that the fund, amounting to 162 trillion won, should not be rushed through the National Assembly and passed without thorough examination.
Addressing President Lee, she questioned, "What is the purpose of creating a 'Future Oblivion Fund' that shifts all burdens onto future generations? Is the surplus tax revenue merely political funding for the administration?" She reiterated her call for the complete withdrawal of the fund.
After the press conference, Park expressed her anger to reporters, stating, "I am furious about this hastily pushed project that serves as a slush fund for the administration. Stopping the Future Response Fund in the regular National Assembly is a top priority."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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