[Yonhap]
[Yonhap]

People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won criticized President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday after he said "there must never be a case where young people hesitate to marry because of state policy," calling the Lee government "the very culprit blocking young people's path to marriage."

Writing on her Facebook page Sunday, Na said the government had cut lending limits on state-backed home loans — including the Didimdul loan, the Beoditimok loan and even the newborn special loan program — and declared that "the Lee Jae Myung government itself is a marriage penalty."

Na pointed to tightened lending regulations as a key reason marriage has become harder for young people.

"Young people say that because of the real estate, stock market and economic collapse brought on by the Lee Jae Myung administration, buying a home, finding a job and getting married grow harder by the day," she said. "The government cut the limits on the Didimdul and Beoditimok loans and tightened regulations."

Na said the government had gone further by also reducing the newborn special loan program, adding, "Is it any wonder young people say they might as well do nothing at all?"

She acknowledged that marriage and birth rates had recovered somewhat after the sharp decline during the pandemic, but said South Korea "still faces a catastrophic low birth rate crisis by global standards." She also said that while the country's foreign resident population had reached 2.6 million, "everyone knows that an increase in immigration is not the answer to solving South Korea's low birth rate problem."

Na said policies were regressing rather than improving, and demanded the government "immediately stop the state violence that blocks the future of young people," saying talk of marriage and childbirth meant nothing without meaningful action.

Earlier Sunday, President Lee posted on X that "there must never be a case where young people hesitate to marry because of state policy," and said he had directed officials to closely examine and report on any systemic disadvantages young people face as a result of marriage.


yeonjoo7@heraldcorp.com