President Lee Jae-myung expresses concerns over national finance difficulties… "There are many things to be done, but no money to spend"

President Lee Jae-myung stated, "As I manage the country's finances, there are many things that need to be done, but there is no money to spend, and it is truly a source of much concern."

On the 13th, President Lee held a meeting at the Yongsan Presidential Office to discuss saving the national finances, saying, "We have plenty of fields available, but we feel frustrated thinking about leaving the fields fallow because we don’t have seeds to sow."

President Lee compared the current financial situation to farming, saying, "There are people who argue that we should live with what we have and question why we need to borrow seeds from a neighbor. But if borrowing a bowl of seeds allows us to harvest a bag in the fall, isn't it obvious that we should borrow seeds and sow them?"

He emphasized, "If we only say not to borrow and to live with what we have, we won't be able to farm."

Current national finance "Even seeds to sow are lacking"

President Lee pointed out the growth and recovery of people's livelihoods as the current era's challenges. He added, "In farming terms, we need seeds to sow in spring, and while the national finances should fulfill that role, they have recently become so weak that we are lacking even the seeds to sow."

In particular, President Lee noted, "The finances should play a role as the so-called 'priming water' for growth, but with a decrease in tax revenues and worsening economic growth, the capacity of national finances has become very fragile."

Regarding solutions to financial issues, President Lee mentioned, "It seems that increasing national revenue or dealing with tax evasion won't be major subjects for discussion. That should be something the government can handle well."

Instead, he stated, "It is important to adjust expenditures and secure available resources through expenditure adjustments."

He further added, "We should also consider adjusting the budgets in inefficient areas and transitioning them to more efficient parts."

Image Sources: On the 12th, President Lee Jae-myung presides over a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul. / News1, On the 12th, President Lee Jae-myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul. / News1, Reference photos for better understanding of the article / gettyimagesbank