Han Dong-hoon: 'Running a country is not a YouTube show'

Lawmaker Han Dong-hoon sharply criticized President Lee Jae-myung's method of gauging public opinion on property tax increases, calling it "not a YouTube variety show."

Han, a solo lawmaker, took to Facebook to express his dismay after President Lee solicited real-time opinions via YouTube comments during a live broadcast of a State Council meeting. The president asked viewers to vote on whether to strengthen property taxes on "super-luxury homes" and what the threshold for such homes should be.

"It is astonishing. Real estate taxation is not something to be decided by an instant popularity poll of people watching the president's YouTube channel," Han stated. He likened the practice of singling out specific groups for tax increases based on unverified comments to "modern-day people's trials."

Han argued that the government's role is to conduct professional analysis and public discourse, considering factors like tax burdens, market and rental impacts, and adherence to tax principles before making decisions. He accused the president of shirking responsibility by passing it off as a question to "the people who watched my YouTube."

Furthermore, Han pointed out that the president's focus was misplaced. He noted that apartment prices below 1.5 billion won have surged due to loan restrictions, with the most severe rent crises occurring in mid-priced outer areas, not affluent districts. Han urged the government to address the rising prices of apartments and rents in Seoul's outskirts, which are impacting middle and lower-income households.