With the April 13 general election drawing closer, major parties are rolling out election pledges, which — not surprisingly — are focused on the expansion of welfare programs and pork-barrel projects.
The parties’ rush to announce new welfare benefits show that politicians have not learnt their lesson. Think about the child care crisis that has been gripping the nation for months due to the partisan, ideological standoffs involving political parties, central and local governments and education offices over who should finance the program.
The Minjoo Party of Korea, desperate to retain its status as the largest opposition party, is on the forefront of the competition to offer new welfare programs, especially targeting young voters.
The party said if it wins the election, it will grant a monthly allowance of 600,000 won for six months to 50,000 youths to assist their job hunting efforts. This is the latest in the liberals’ push for cash handout programs that are a waste of taxpayers’ money, in line with the controversial offering by the mayor of the Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, of cash vouchers to young job seekers.
The Minjoo Party also said it would expand mandatory education to high schools and create public sector jobs for 348,000 people. As expected, the party did not say how it will finance the plans. The idea of free high school education would have been more persuasive had the party first offered solutions to the child care crisis.
The People’s Party, which broke away from the Minjoo Party with a call for “new politics,” is little different from what it calls “establishment parties” in trying to woo votes with specious welfare programs.
A prime example is the bill for utilizing the funds of the National Pension Service to supply rental houses for people under 35 years old and newlyweds. It is indeed disappointing that the first legislative bill drafted by the party is based on an idea which could undermine efficient, stable management of the fund, a source for post-retirement income of more than 20 million people.
Voters should brace for more to come from the votes-obsessed parties. As in the past, many of the election pledges — especially welfare benefits and pork-barrel projects — will turn out to be empty promises. Voters should remain cool-headed and make fair assessment of the pledges.
