The People Power Party said on the 25th that it would include the 2 trillion won in disaster response reserve funds cut last year by the Democratic Party to support recent wildfire damage in areas such as Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, and Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province in the supplementary budget.
Kweon Seong-dong, the floor leader of the People Power Party, stated during a policy meeting that morning, "The People Power Party will promptly hold a high-level party-government meeting and will begin discussions on trade responses and the supplementary budget."
He noted, "As confirmed by this wildfire disaster, disaster reserve funds are essential for responding quickly to unexpected disasters," adding, "The People Power Party will include the 2 trillion won in disaster response reserve funds cut by the Democratic Party last year in this supplementary budget to restore the national safety net." Previously, the government had allocated 4.8 trillion won for this year's reserve funds, but the Democratic Party had cut that by half to 2.4 trillion won. The People Power Party holds the position that the supplementary budget must actively consider increasing the reserve funds for disaster support and damage recovery, as well as for additional wildfire fighting equipment.
Kweon, the floor leader, also urged the resumption of the interparty government council. He remarked, "The Democratic Party must immediately stop all opportunistic off-site struggles and return to the National Assembly right away," saying, "Now is the time for the government and the National Assembly to come together and focus solely on the economy and the livelihoods of the people."
He requested the opposition party to cease off-site protests and engage in discussions on livelihoods. Kim Sang-hoon, the policy committee chair, expressed, "If possible, we would like to hold a high-level party-government meeting with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo this week," adding, "The Democratic Party should join the ranks of those working with the people in the field of livelihoods rather than engaging in politics on the asphalt, and should strive together for the development of the Republic of Korea and the stability of people's livelihoods."