Conservative president eyes welfare expansion as Lee Jae-yung courts business, amid mounting pressure on both
South Korean politics is witnessing an unusual shift as President Yoon Suk-yeol and opposition leader Lee Jae-myung move away from traditional stances on policies relating to business and the economy.
Yoon, who focused on small government and fiscal conservatism during the first half of his term, is now advocating for expanded welfare spending to address “economic polarization.” And despite internal pushback, some in his office are apparently discussing supplementary budgets — a policy tool he once criticized his predecessor for overusing.
South Korean politics is witnessing an unusual shift as President Yoon Suk-yeol and opposition leader Lee Jae-myung move away from traditional stances on policies relating to business and the economy.
Yoon, who focused on small government and fiscal conservatism during the first half of his term, is now advocating for expanded welfare spending to address “economic polarization.” And despite internal pushback, some in his office are apparently discussing supplementary budgets — a policy tool he once criticized his predecessor for overusing.
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