On the 4th, the People Power Party decided not to participate in the vote on the supplementary budget bill. Song Eon-seok, the interim leader and floor leader of the party, stated that the negotiations broke down because the apology related to the unilateral reduction of the presidential office’s special activity funds last year was not accepted. He emphasized that the deadlock wasn’t due to disagreements over the increase in consumer coupons but rather the stance that standards change with administrations.
Song expressed that despite their request for reflection and an apology over the special activity funds, the other side did not concede, leading to the breakdown. In a subsequent Q&A, spokesperson Choi Soo-jin clarified that the core issue wasn’t the addition of populist measures like short-term youth employment, but the revival of special activity funds. She emphasized the need for a public apology for acknowledging the necessity of these funds.
Additionally, spokesperson Park Seong-hoon noted that the party had attempted to show a cooperative spirit by visiting the Democratic Party late at night for negotiations, yet failed to obtain any apology regarding the special funds. If the Democratic Party apologizes for reviving the special activity funds, the People Power Party is willing to resume discussions. They intend to visit the presidential office in Yongsan to deliver a protest letter and demand an apology.