NATIONWIDE COVID-19 RELIEF PAYOUTS

[Anchor Lead]

Ruling and opposition party leaders had reached a surprise agreement to provide COVID-19 relief payouts to all South Koreans. But in less than 2 hours, the main opposition People Power Party backtracked on the agreement, causing confusion all day Tuesday. The PPP is dealing with the aftermath saying it was a misunderstanding as its leader Lee Jun-seok has hit a snag in his leadership. The ruling Democratic Party meanwhile is set to push ahead with universal payout and is pressuring the opposition.

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In less than two hours after rival party chiefs announced an agreement to providing relief handouts to all South Korean citizens, the agreement was reversed. There has been serious backlash within the People Power Party. Chairman Lee Jun-seok voluntarily held a press conference to offer an explanation. He said it wasn’t a final agreement but a rough guideline on the issue.

[Soundbite] Lee Jun-seok(PPP chair) : "On the premise that finances were sufficient for universal payout, we discussed the method of provision and other details."

The main opposition bloc's floor leadership also called the agreement a ‘misunderstanding.’ Despite such efforts, protest from within the party continued. There is criticism that the PPP’s persistent stance on selective payout has been overturned. Others also took issue with procedural concerns saying the chairman overstepped his bounds as the extra budget lies in the powers of parliament and lawmakers. The uproar led to criticism of Lee’s leadership in general with some pointing out that he is not in a position to make unilateral decisions. Meanwhile the ruling Democratic Party is pressuring the PPP. It urges the opposition to support chairman Lee’s decision.

[Soundbite] Yun Ho-jung(DP floor leader) : "Will the PPP chair become known for his backpedaling of words in just 100 minutes?"

The DP even set the provision of universal payout as its official position and is pressing the PPP to follow suit. The ruling bloc was also somewhat divided over the issue with some members oppose the idea of providing support to all citizens. But the leadership intends to take this opportunity to end that controversy once and for all. The DP will further observe the COVID-19 situation before deciding when to hand out the relief funds.