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'Don't need sweet handouts': Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok criticizes consumption coupon program

Published: 16 Sep. 2025, 09:59

Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok speaks at a meeting held at the National Assembly in western Seoul on Sept. 8. [YONHAP]

Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok slammed President Lee Jae Myung's economic policies, likening them to "endlessly prescribing painkillers to a critically ill patient," in particular reference to the government's consumption coupon program.

“I did not receive the government-issued consumer coupon,” Lee Jun-seok wrote in a Facebook post on Monday.

While emphasizing that “those who received the coupon did nothing wrong,” Lee Jun-seok said he “wanted to make a clear statement as a politician against a populist policy that could raise prices and ultimately leave lower-income people worse off.”

Lee Jun-seok criticized the scale of the program, saying, “The 13 trillion won [$9.4 billion] budget for this coupon project is equivalent to the combined annual tuition fees of all universities in the country. It’s enough to build a new Incheon Airport or even the new airport in Gadeok Island, and more than enough to add several subway lines.”

“If all we get in return for that opportunity cost is short-term consumption and inflation,” he said, “then that’s a national failure.”

He continued that “If a doctor endlessly prescribes painkillers to a critically ill patient, that means the doctor has given up on treatment. Likewise, if the president of Korea hands out coupons funded by debt instead of pursuing pension reform, health insurance reform or future-focused investments, that is nothing but populism that abandons the country’s future.”

“Korea’s maxed-out credit line, following its high-growth years, is effectively a communal debt account being passed on to future generations,” he added. “If fiscal health collapses, Korea will be pushed to the edge of a cliff.”

“To protect Korea’s future, we don't need sweet handouts, but painful reforms and investments,” Lee said. “That is the path I will take.”

An AI-generated video criticizing President Lee Jae Myung's consumer coupon program, uploaded onto Lee Jun-seok's Facebook account [SCREEN CAPTURE]

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, 50,078,938 people — 98.96 percent of all eligible recipients — applied for the first round of consumption coupons. The total distributed amount was 9.07 trillion won.

The second round of coupons — worth 100,000 won per person — will be distributed starting Sept. 22. The top 10 percent of income earners are excluded from the program.

Last month, Lee Jun-seok also criticized the policy in a video made using AI. In the video, a father tells his daughter, “There’s no such thing as free money. Never follow someone just because they offer you something.” The daughter responds, “Then why did you vote for the man who promised to give out money?”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]