Oh Se-hoon, the Seoul mayor, called the government's payment of consumption coupons for restoring people's livelihoods "shameless and a plunder of future generations."
On the 9th, in a Facebook post titled "What should be placed on the shoulders of young people is not coupons but competitiveness," Oh wrote, "If the entire nation repeatedly governs by borrowing money and handing out cash, future generations will not be able to enjoy the abundance of previous generations," making this point.
Citing China's rise in future industries, the United States' America-first diplomacy, and the climate crisis, Oh said, "Whether the government and ruling party know the desperate anxiety of young people or not, they packaged a one-off cash handout as 'consumption coupons for restoring people's livelihoods' and poured 13 trillion won of fiscal funds into it." He added, "The exploding debt falls squarely on the shoulders of young people," and conveyed that "young people say 'a coupon-led economy is more frightening than income-led growth.'"
He then pointed to Dongdaemun Design Plaza and the Han River Sebitseom, established during his term, and the Yongsan International Business District set for imminent development, arguing, "Only when Seoul's culture and design draw the world's attention is wealth created. Then people gather, and investment and jobs follow."
In addition, Oh said, "Seoul must once again leap forward as a 'city of creation' and a 'city of brands,'" adding, "Only then can young people use creative capital and brand capital as seed money to compete with the world."