President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday denied having directly mentioned welfare without tax hikes, a day after she slammed officials of her party for demanding that she withdraw her pledges on welfare expansion.
The ruling Saenuri Party’s chief policymaker Won Yoo-chul said after a meeting with the president on Tuesday that she did not mention welfare without tax increases but meant to discuss the issue after making efforts to bring about economic revitalization.
Park on Monday lashed out at recent talk of raising taxes both from the ruling and the main opposition parties, calling it as “an act of betrayal” to the people and saying it ignored the government’s efforts to secure new sources of income through its economic reform drive. Asia’s fourth-largest economy, if revitalized, could help create more jobs and raise tax revenues, she said.
The president also agreed to set up a consultative body with her ruling party and the government as part of efforts to better coordinate policies following a series of policy blunders.
Park made the decision in a first meeting with new leaders of the ruling Saenuri Party ― party leader Kim Moo-sung, floor leader Yoo Seong-min and chief policymaker Won ― at the presidential office, Won said after the meeting.
The presidential office is set to hold a consultative meeting with the ruling party and the government twice a month and they are expected to hold the inaugural session after Lunar New Year’s Day, which falls on Feb. 19.
Separately, the three parties will hold a high-level consultative meeting involving the prime minister, Park’s chief of staff, the ruling party chief and the floor leader, according to Won.
It is the first time that Park has agreed to set up a consultative body with the ruling party since she took office in early 2013. Park has been accused, even by some ruling party officials, of not communicating well in running state affairs.
The latest move came after Park suffered a series of setbacks over the government’s revised tax settlement scheme and the suspension of plans to revamp the national health insurance system meant to fairly distribute the public burden.
Also at the meeting, Park pressed for parliamentary measures to revitalize South Korea’s economy.
“Cooperation from the National Assembly is urgently required to quickly achieve economic revitalization and I hope that the Saenuri Party will strengthen such a role,” Park said, according to the ruling party.
The floor leader Yoo said he would make the utmost efforts to ensure that bills meant to revitalize the economy can pass through the National Assembly.
Park’s ruling party commands a parliamentary majority with 158 seats in the 295-member National Assembly, which allows it to push bills through parliament without cooperation from the main opposition party.
From news reports
