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Actor Jung Woo-sung admits to being father of model Moon Ga-bi’s child
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Wealthy parents ditch Korean passports to get kids into international school
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Man convicted after binge eating to avoid military service
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First snow to fall in Seoul on Wednesday
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Final push to forge UN treaty on plastic pollution set to begin in Busan
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Industry experts predicts tough choices as NewJeans' ultimatum nears
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Nvidia CEO signals Samsung’s imminent shipment of AI chips
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Korea to hold own memorial for forced labor victims, boycotting Japan’s
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Job creation lowest on record among under-30s
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Opposition chief acquitted of instigating perjury
박근혜 대통령이 중산층의 세금부담을 늘린다며 ‘세금폭탄’ 논란을 일으킨 세법개정안에 대해 ‘원점 재검토’를 지시했다.
박 대통령은 수석비서관회의에서 “특히 서민경제가 가뜩이나 어려운 상황인데 서민과 중산층의 가벼운 지갑을 다시 얇게 하는 것은 정부가 추진하는 경제 정책 방향과 어긋나는 것”이라며 “그런 부분에 대해서는 원점에서 다시 검토해 주기 바란다”고 말했다.
박 대통령은 수석비서관회의에서 “특히 서민경제가 가뜩이나 어려운 상황인데 서민과 중산층의 가벼운 지갑을 다시 얇게 하는 것은 정부가 추진하는 경제 정책 방향과 어긋나는 것”이라며 “그런 부분에 대해서는 원점에서 다시 검토해 주기 바란다”고 말했다.
이에 새누리당은 “중산층의 어려움을 인정한 것”이라면서 박 대통령의 원점 재검토 지시를 환영했다.
현오석 부총리, 황우여 원내대표 등 당정 고위 관계자들은 세법개정안 수정 방향을 논의했다.
최경환 원내대표는 이날 열린 의원총회에서 박 대통령의 원점 재검토를 환영하는 입장을 밝히며, “(박 대통령의) 말씀도 있어서 세법개정안에 반영하도록 오늘 바로 당정청협의에 임하겠다”고 말했다.
또한 새누리당은 장외투쟁 중인 민주당에게도 “국회로 빨리 돌아와 논의하자”자며 공세를 펼쳤다.
한편 박 대통령이 세법개정안의 재검토를 지시했음에도 불구하고 민주당은 12일 오후 서울 여의도 도심거리에서 ‘중산층서민 세금폭탄저지 특별위원회’을 발족시켰다.
민주당의 김한길 대표는 이날 발족식에서 정부의 세제개편안 원점 재검토와 관련, “당•정•청의 총체적인 무능력을 보여준 것”이라고 비판했다.
민주당의 김관영 대변인은 박 대통령의 지시에 대해 “최근 며칠간 분노한 국민에 대한 항복 선언”이라며 “그나마 천만다행”이라고 평가했다. 그러나 야당은 이번 사태에 대해 대통령의 사과를 요구하며 서명운동과 장외투쟁을 이어갈 뜻을 밝혔다.
이에 새누리당 원내대변인 김태흠 의원은 ““민주당이 장외에서 서명운동을 통해 세제개편안을 정쟁의 도구로 활용한다면 국민이 용서치 않을 것”이라면서 “민주당이 세금폭탄 운운하는데 세금폭탄이란 과거 노무현 정부에서 도입한 종합부동산세였다”고 역공에 나섰다. (영문: 코리아헤럴드 최희석 기자, 한글: 임우정 인턴기자)
<관련 영문 기사>
Park orders review of tax revision plans
By Choi He-suk
President Park Geun-hye has ordered a complete review of the proposed tax code revision amid rising criticism that the changes would increase the burden on the middle and lower income groups.
“Thinning the already light wallets of the common people and the middle class is misaligned with the direction of the government’s economic policy,” Park said at the meeting with presidential secretaries.
Park’s decision was welcomed by the ruling Saenuri Party, which appeared to have been put in a spot by the proposed tax code revision.
In a meeting with economic policymakers including Finance Minister Hyun Oh-seok, Saenuri Party chairman Rep. Hwang Woo-yea referred to Park’s decision as the “right thing” to say, adding that his tax-related proposals needed to be discussed in depth at the National Assembly.
Until now, the ruling party’s leaders had commented sparingly on the need to review the plans, with floor leader Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan focusing more on the positive aspects of the proposal at a recent supreme council meeting.
The ruling party, however, did not fail to capitalize on the opportunity presented by Park’s comments to attack the main opposition Democratic Party.
Despite the president ordering a complete review of the proposal, the DP went ahead with its plans to launch a committee against the “tax bomb” and launched a campaign to collect signatures to support its cause.
“If the DP continues to use it as a tool for political wrangling with talks of tax-bombing, the public will not forgive,” Saenuri Party floor spokesman Rep. Kim Tae-heum said.
“Collecting signatures is something non-governmental organizations outside the system do. The DP should stop wandering about in this heat like a lost child, and the right thing to do is for the ruling and opposition parties to cooperate in resolving current issues.”
The DP also used the development as an opening to attack the government and the ruling party.
Saying that Park’s decision was “surrendering to the angered public,” DP spokesman Rep. Kim Kwan-young called on the president to make a public apology.
“The president should first apologize for creating serious disorder. She knew everything about the tax revision. When changing (her position) as if nothing has happened, the rational thing to do is to apologize,” Kim said at a press briefing.
Kim went on to say that the fact that the revision was retracted only a few days after it was proposed showed the incompetence of the ruling party, government and the presidential office.
Kim also called on the government and the ruling party to reduce tax exemptions for high income groups and large companies in reviewing the tax code revision plans.
(cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)
Park orders review of tax revision plans
By Choi He-suk
President Park Geun-hye has ordered a complete review of the proposed tax code revision amid rising criticism that the changes would increase the burden on the middle and lower income groups.
“Thinning the already light wallets of the common people and the middle class is misaligned with the direction of the government’s economic policy,” Park said at the meeting with presidential secretaries.
Park’s decision was welcomed by the ruling Saenuri Party, which appeared to have been put in a spot by the proposed tax code revision.
In a meeting with economic policymakers including Finance Minister Hyun Oh-seok, Saenuri Party chairman Rep. Hwang Woo-yea referred to Park’s decision as the “right thing” to say, adding that his tax-related proposals needed to be discussed in depth at the National Assembly.
Until now, the ruling party’s leaders had commented sparingly on the need to review the plans, with floor leader Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan focusing more on the positive aspects of the proposal at a recent supreme council meeting.
The ruling party, however, did not fail to capitalize on the opportunity presented by Park’s comments to attack the main opposition Democratic Party.
Despite the president ordering a complete review of the proposal, the DP went ahead with its plans to launch a committee against the “tax bomb” and launched a campaign to collect signatures to support its cause.
“If the DP continues to use it as a tool for political wrangling with talks of tax-bombing, the public will not forgive,” Saenuri Party floor spokesman Rep. Kim Tae-heum said.
“Collecting signatures is something non-governmental organizations outside the system do. The DP should stop wandering about in this heat like a lost child, and the right thing to do is for the ruling and opposition parties to cooperate in resolving current issues.”
The DP also used the development as an opening to attack the government and the ruling party.
Saying that Park’s decision was “surrendering to the angered public,” DP spokesman Rep. Kim Kwan-young called on the president to make a public apology.
“The president should first apologize for creating serious disorder. She knew everything about the tax revision. When changing (her position) as if nothing has happened, the rational thing to do is to apologize,” Kim said at a press briefing.
Kim went on to say that the fact that the revision was retracted only a few days after it was proposed showed the incompetence of the ruling party, government and the presidential office.
Kim also called on the government and the ruling party to reduce tax exemptions for high income groups and large companies in reviewing the tax code revision plans.
(cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)
