Yoon says he is sorry to people for delay in budget passage

SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) — President Yoon Suk-yeol said Monday that he is sorry to the people for the parliamentary delay in passing next year’s government budget and instructed the government to do its best to get it passed, his office said.

Yoon made the remark during a weekly meeting with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo as the rival political parties continued to wrangle over details of the budget plan and the government’s proposal to cut the corporate tax rate.

The legal deadline for the budget’s passage was Dec. 2.

“President Yoon said the importance of next year’s budget is greater than ever in order to revitalize the economy and protect vulnerable groups amid forecasts of a global economic downturn next year,” deputy presidential spokesperson Lee Jae-myoung said during a press briefing.

“He said he is sorry to the people that despite that, the budget proposal’s passage is being delayed, and instructed that the government must stick to principles and do its best for the budget proposal’s passage until the end in order to fulfill its duty to the people,” Lee added.

The president also asked the prime minister to make every effort to follow up on everything that was discussed during last week’s townhall meeting where Yoon discussed progress on the administration’s key policy tasks with members of the public.

Han reported to Yoon on the government’s plan to increase internships for young people.

Yoon said increasing young people’s participation in state affairs is a critical part of the administration’s youth policy and instructed the prime minister to run substantive internship programs.

The government aims to begin the programs next March.