Democratic Party Approval Rating Decline Leads to Policy Confusion

The plan to explain the details to reporters was also postponed and remains so until further notice.

The host stated, “The Minister of Health and Welfare. The basic pension reform plan was originally supposed to be announced today, but it was suddenly canceled an hour before the announcement.” This abrupt cancellation has led to criticisms that policy implementation uncertainty has increased.

With complex interests among local governments, such as Jeonnam Naju Innovation City, there is an assessment that the government's policy implementation momentum has been lost.

The host emphasized, "If Lee Jae-myung's approval rating had exceeded 65% or 60% for the second phase of public institution relocation, they would have pushed it through already. But since his approval rating has almost halved compared to four months ago, everything is now being postponed."

This situation, combined with the issue of basic pension cuts for Koreans, is worsening domestic public opinion. Past security issues related to visa-free entry in Jeju Island are also resurfacing.

The host explained the situation in Chinese communities, saying, “Chinese people are sharing a secret method on their community sites, like how to work for just one month and receive a lifelong national pension in Korea. Because of the exchange rate difference, they’re spreading tips like 'If you go to Korea, you can get a pension after working just one month,' and 'If one person receives it, their family members can all receive pensions as well.' These methods are being widely shared.”

The government is pursuing fiscal expansion, budgeting 820 trillion won for next year and allocating 43 trillion won for youth-related expenses. However, critics point out that this conflicts with the Bank of Korea's monetary tightening stance, which aims to curb inflation through interest rate hikes. Concerns are being raised that the discrepancy between the government's increased fiscal spending and the Bank of Korea's monetary control policies could cause market confusion.

The host criticized the contradiction between fiscal and monetary policies, stating, “Park Hong-geun, Minister of Planning and Budget, says this administration sets a new record every time. How can the 820 trillion won budget, which is a 12.8% to 6% increase on that graph, double in 10 years? They’re putting 40 trillion of that into some future fund whose purpose is unknown. The Bank of Korea governor says he’ll raise interest rates to catch inflation, but Park Hong-geun says he’ll release a huge amount of money.”

If one borrows 600 million won, the monthly interest amounts to 4 million won, leading to concerns that even dual-income households struggle to maintain a normal life.

The host expressed the severity of the current situation, stating, “Currently, the upper limit for mortgage loans is 8%. Simply put, if you take out a 600 million won loan with your house as collateral, the interest is 4 million won. How many households in Korea, whether dual-income or not, can properly live their lives while paying 4 million won in interest these days?”

However, the host countered, expressing skepticism that the current situation differs from the past.

Park Sang-kyu quoted Representative Lee Hae-sik, saying, “Lee Hae-sik, the pro-Lee Jae-myung lawmaker who served as Kim Hye-kyung’s chief of staff, reportedly said that he refuted Kim Eo-jun’s claim that an approval rating dropped to the 30% range never recovers, by citing how it had rebounded during the Moon Jae-in and Park Geun-hye eras.”

However, some media outlets and non-mainstream factions are interpreting it as a framework that deepens internal party conflict, revealing a divergence of views both within and outside the party.

Park Sang-kyu relayed Representative Jang’s remarks, saying, “The NEC special prosecutor is starting now, and this is a result that you all achieved through your collective struggle.”

A party official present at the scene reported seeing Representative Yoo Yeong-a push Representative Jang's waist forward. In response, Park Sang-kyu criticized some media reports for instigating internal party division.

Park Sang-kyu described the situation during the workshop, stating, “A party official told me that they saw it. Representative Yoo Yeong-a was following along and she was behind Representative Jang, and she pushed his waist forward.”

This raises concerns about the site's ability to serve as a U.S. military base in an emergency. Critics specifically point out that inadequate defense facilities could directly impact military operational capabilities.

Park Sang-kyu emphasized the seriousness of the controversy, stating, “The hangars being built now reportedly cannot defend against missiles. What they are building seems to be modular prefabricated. Moreover, another construction method used is that the hangars are in that shape, and the waiting areas for pilots and mechanics lack CBRN facilities.”