The additional supplementary budget for compensation for COVID-19 damage was handled by the Democratic Party alone at the plenary session of the National Assembly Preliminary Committee this morning.
The Democratic Party held a plenary meeting of the Preliminary Committee at around 2 am today and passed the 14 trillion won government bill with the goal of 3 million won per person in quarantine support.
Members of the People’s Strength Preliminary Committee, including Chairman Lee Jong-bae, did not attend the meeting in opposition to the supplementary budget bill.
As Chairman Lee refused to attend, the meeting was held in accordance with the National Assembly Act, with Democratic Party lawmaker Maeng Seong-gyu acting as chairperson of the ruling party and the Democratic Party lawmakers attending.
The Democratic Party plans to submit an amendment bill, which is an increase of 2 trillion won from the government bill, for a final decision at the plenary session on the 21st at the earliest.
The amendment also plans to add up to 1 million won in subsidies to about 1.4 million workers, including special type workers, freelancers, nursing care workers, and corporate taxi workers.
Previously, the ruling and opposition parties held a plenary meeting of the Preliminary Committee at 2 pm the previous day to discuss the supplementary budget bill, but they were unable to narrow their positions, arguing that they could not agree to the supplementary budget bill unless the people’s power increased the quarantine subsidy to 10 million won per person.