Party, Government and Cheong Wa Dae Review Chuseok Price Measures and Other Livelihood Issues

[Financial News] The Democratic Party of Korea, the government, and Cheong Wa Dae said they would focus on advancing various livelihood measures amid concerns over the recent decline in public support for the administration. They particularly concentrated on reviewing measures to address Chuseok prices, with the holiday just around the corner.
The Democratic Party of Korea, the government, and Cheong Wa Dae held a Senior Party-Government Council meeting that day at the Prime Minister’s Residence in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. The main topic of discussion was measures to stabilize prices during Chuseok.
Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said, "First, ahead of Chuseok, which is just over 10 days away, the government will carefully prioritize people’s livelihoods so that citizens can spend the holiday without worry. We will do our utmost to ensure that the benefits of the policies prepared by the government—including the largest-ever discounts, the largest-ever supply, and the largest-ever holiday funding support—reach the public."
Han Seong-sook made the stable management of the supply and prices of holiday essentials a top priority. She also pledged thorough preparations for social safety nets that become more vulnerable during the holiday period, including measures to ease the burden on small business owners and vulnerable groups and to address transportation and medical services.
Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff to the president, also stressed that the party, government, and Cheong Wa Dae should pay closer attention to people’s livelihoods ahead of Chuseok. Kang Hoon-sik said, "The government will mobilize all available resources and invest 193 billion won in a project supporting discounts on holiday essentials, a substantial increase from last year’s 90 billion won. I ask the relevant ministries to closely monitor the progress of the project and make every effort to cooperate with retailers, including supermarkets, and promote the project so that the entire budget can be executed."
He also said, "I ask the government to strengthen price inspections and guidance activities, particularly at major tourist destinations, so that citizens traveling domestically during the holiday period can enjoy their trips without worrying about price gouging."
Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, defined the next task for the Lee Jae-myung administration, which has passed its first year in office, as "advancing a dignified society." To achieve this, Kim Min-seok said the party would provide full support for the government’s megaprojects while also accelerating policies and legislation to eliminate institutional blind spots arising from them.
Kim Min-seok also announced plans to establish a separate party task force to lead the effort. It will be called the Dignified Society Task Force for Bridging Gaps in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Kim Min-seok will personally serve as its head. Former National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik is expected to join as the task force’s standing adviser and lead it in practice.
The party, government, and Cheong Wa Dae also reviewed measures to reform problems within the police that came to light through the Jeju police’s false missing-person case closure, known as the “Jang Mi-ran case.” They also shared updates on preparations for the launch of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and the Public Prosecution Office, scheduled for October 2, and discussed measures to prevent gaps in public safety affecting people’s daily lives.
[email protected] Kim Hyeong-gu Reporter