Deputy Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki, 'opposition to the increase in the supplementary budget,' some ruling party "minister of loan sharks"

Some lawmakers from the Democratic Party also criticized Deputy Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki, who said it was difficult to agree to an increase in the additional budget, and even suggested the possibility of impeachment proceedings.

Kim Woo-young, spokesman for the Democratic Party's election campaign, said, "I give an ultimatum to Mr. Hong Nam-gi. The current behavior is like a loan shark acting as a minister," he said. .

Rep. Jin Seong-jun said on SNS, "It is difficult for Deputy Prime Minister Hong to deny the National Assembly's right to finalize the budget review and the principle of representative democracy itself," he said.

"I hope that the excessive remarks that despise the people and ignore the budget review authority of the National Assembly will be withdrawn," he said.

Rep. Min Byung-deok also posted on SNS, saying, "The state cannot abandon the people according to the state's orders."

These remarks by the two lawmakers are interpreted as warnings while indirectly suggesting that if Deputy Prime Minister Hong persists in opposing the increase in the supplementary budget despite the agreement of the ruling and opposition parties, he could pursue an impeachment proceeding.

According to Article 65 of the Constitution, a proposal for impeachment by a State Council member is initiated by more than one-third of the total number of members and a resolution is passed with the consent of a majority of the total number of members.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Hong attended a meeting of the National Assembly's budget committee and answered, "What will happen if the opposition and opposition parties agree on an increase in the additional budget?" to a question from Rep. Woo Won-shik of the Democratic Party of Korea, "I will not readily agree. Rather than being bound by the agreement of the ruling and opposition parties, the administration has its own judgment on the increase. It has to be considered,” he said.

In response, Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung also met with reporters and said, "It seems that the deputy prime minister is overtaking."

(Photo = Yonhap News)