Democratic Party Accuses Opposition of Exploiting Anti-China Sentiment with Misleading Claims
Seoul – A spokesperson for the Democratic Party today accused the People Power Party of deliberately spreading misinformation regarding Chinese citizens’ impact on South Korea’s healthcare system, elections, adn real estate market, alleging a calculated effort to incite anti-China sentiment.
The accusations center on claims made by the People Power Party concerning financial contributions to health insurance, foreign voting rights in local elections, and real estate ownership. The Democratic Party spokesperson presented data indicating that Chinese subscribers to the national health insurance system paid 936.9 billion won last year and received 931.4 billion won in benefits, resulting in a surplus of 5.5 billion won. “Nevertheless, the People Power Party is still deceiving the public by spreading the ‘health insurance free riding theory,'” the spokesperson stated.
Regarding local elections, the party refuted claims that foreigners can vote without legal residency. ”Foreigners‘ right to vote in local elections is also granted only to those who legally reside in the country and are registered in the alien registration register,” the spokesperson clarified, adding that the People Power Party was propagating “the falsehood that ‘you can vote even if you do not live in our country.'”
On the issue of real estate, the Democratic Party asserted that regulations governing purchases are identical for Koreans and foreigners, and that the National Assembly is actively considering further restrictions on foreign acquisition. The spokesperson noted that, contrary to popular belief, more apartments in Seoul are owned by Americans than Chinese citizens, and that most properties owned by Chinese nationals are for personal residence.
The Democratic Party spokesperson further criticized the People Power Party for what they described as contradictory messaging, advocating for cooperation with both the United States and China while concurrently “inciting hatred against China” amid heightened geopolitical tensions. “Duplicitous politics will ruin the national economy and diplomacy, and the damage will ultimately be passed on to the people,” they warned.
The spokesperson concluded by invoking South Korea’s history of defending democracy,stating that citizens “will resolutely judge the People Power Party and far-right forces that use hatred as a political tool,” and pledging the Democratic Party’s commitment to protecting national interests and democratic values.
