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| Na Kyung-won, chief of the presidential committee on Aging Society and Population Policy, speaks during a press conference at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, Jan. 5. Yonhap |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
About two months ahead of the ruling People Power Party's (PPP) national convention to elect its new leader, Na Kyung-won, a former lawmaker who is now head of the presidential committee on Aging Society and Population Policy, has been at odds with the presidential office over her candidacy.
Na made headlines last week when she suggested offering debt relief to those who have children in an effort to stop Korea's falling birthrate, taking inspiration from the policies of Hungary's Orban administration that offer preferential loan conditions to married couples depending on the number of children they have.
Na's proposal has been called "populist" within the ruling party, and the presidential office expressed its concerns that the move could be intended to pave the way for her possible candidacy in the competition to be the PPP's new leader.
The presidential office immediately drew a line between itself and Na, saying that there is a significant difference between the government's stance on related policies and her idea, Friday.
The presidential office's statement came right after Na said that she is pondering whether it is right or not just to observe the party's national convention, hinting that she might run for the chairperson post in it.
Na, a judge-turned-politician, is one of the most prominent female politicians in the conservative bloc. She is currently leading public opinion polls as the preferred future chief of the ruling party from its members, but she has not yet officially announced her candidacy.
Since the PPP decided to elect a new chairperson through a vote of its party members only, revising the current rule by which 70 percent of the votes must come from party members and the remaining 30 percent must come from a public opinion survey, Na has strong potential.
The presidential office has expressed concern that if Na's suggestion of debt forgiveness as a means to encourage childbirth is widely publicized, it could cause confusion, as it contradicts the stance of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. Some have interpreted this as an attempt to prevent Na from entering the competition for the party's leadership.
Lawyer Shin Pyung, a supporter of the pro-Yoon candidate Kim Gi-hyeon for the PPP leadership, criticized Na for considering her own interests in the race for party leader while in a public post.
Amid the controversy, on Sunday, Na apologized for any misunderstanding caused by her comments about the policy to encourage childbirth, stating that she understands why the presidential office had concerns about her remarks.
Na elaborated that the policy to encourage childbirth is still being developed and that she is open to discussion with relevant ministries and requested that the issue not be politicized.
"Please put this issue in the frame of political interests, not policy, and refrain from groundless misinterpretations based on speculation," Na wrote on Facebook.
"It is very inappropriate to use this issue politically, as some politicians are preoccupied with calculations of whether or not I will run as a candidate for the leadership in the party's national convention," she wrote.
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