The Ministry of the Interior and Safety is reported to be conducting internal inspections on its employees as of the 18th. This is due to the leakage of a document regarding the 'Support Fund for Livelihood Recovery' plan, which aims to provide 250,000 won to ordinary citizens, before its official announcement. The document is said to have been prepared by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
The document began circulating in online communities since the 16th. It contained a title on one side of A4 paper stating 'Basic Plan for Providing Livelihood Recovery Consumption Coupons' and laid out amounts for different groups: 250,000 won for ordinary citizens, 400,000 won for low-income families and single-parent families, 500,000 won for basic living support recipients, and 150,000 won for the top 10% of earners.
Concerns subsequently began to arise. The presidential office, the Presidential Committee on Policy Planning, which serves the role of the presidential transition committee, and the Democratic Party of Korea reportedly pointed out that 'the government proposal leaked before any party negotiations took place' and that 'those involved should be held accountable.'
Following this, it was reported that the Inspector General's Office of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety began its internal inspections on the 17th. Some public officials are said to have undergone rigorous questioning lasting nearly 10 hours. A Ministry of the Interior and Safety official stated, 'If it is confirmed that the information was leaked externally without the approval of the final decision-maker, it could be considered a violation of public service regulations' and added, 'There is also a possibility of disciplinary action.'
Under the current administration, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety is reportedly set to handle the practical work for not only the Support Fund for Livelihood Recovery but also for key policies such as ▲Basic Income ▲Basic Employment ▲Basic Healthcare ▲Basic Finance ▲Basic Housing ▲Basic Education ▲Basic Care ▲Basic Transportation. A Ministry of the Interior and Safety official remarked, 'As the ministry has taken on major national agenda items, the emergence of information leakage suspicions has made our position difficult,' adding, 'The internal inspections are causing the atmosphere to become tense.'
Meanwhile, the specific details of a second supplementary budget focusing on the payment of the Support Fund for Livelihood Recovery are set to be disclosed after a Cabinet meeting on the 19th. Jin Sung-jun, chair of the policy committee of the Democratic Party of Korea, met with reporters after a policy consultation meeting held at the National Assembly on the 18th. He stated, 'The supplementary budget includes the livelihood recovery consumption coupon project,' adding, 'The party has consistently emphasized that the support fund should be universally provided to all citizens, and the government has embraced this stance and designed it for universal support.'