Jeong Cheong-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said the 26 trillion won ($18.2 billion) "war supplementary budget" would be processed "at the fastest speed in history," adding that he "can face the public with a little more dignity."
Jeong made the remarks at a general meeting of Democratic Party lawmakers held at the National Assembly on Thursday. "It is a tremendous achievement that the ruling and opposition parties agreed to process the supplementary budget on April 10. I send generous applause and praise to the floor leadership," he said.
"In an era of global crisis such as the Middle East war, emergency response and the golden time are extremely important," Jeong stressed. "Now is the time to put on an oxygen respirator. The public is gasping for breath, and this is no time for the National Assembly to leisurely engage in political disputes."
Regarding candidate nominations for the June 3 local elections, Jeong said, "It cannot be compared to what President Lee Jae-myung faces, but I too am managing the nomination process with painstaking effort day by day." He added, "Unlike the People Power Party, there are almost no protest demonstrations involving head-shaving or hunger strikes, which shows the nomination process is proceeding smoothly."
"I ask that, as much as possible, all candidates who have been granted preliminary candidacy status be given the chance to compete in primaries," he said. "I will travel across the country in every direction, devoting my utmost sincerity with the mindset that wholehearted dedication can move heaven."
Han Byeong-do, the Democratic Party's floor leader, said, "The government supplementary budget submitted to the National Assembly is an emergency transfusion to save the public and businesses, and a breakwater for the livelihood economy." He added, "All Democratic Party lawmakers must unite as one and fully activate all 10 standing committees to ensure the supplementary budget is swiftly executed on the ground without wasting a single day."