Moon to donate his share of emergency relief fund

SEOUL, May 7 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in plans to donate his portion of the "emergency disaster relief payments" from the government, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday.

It represents a symbolic gesture, widely expected, amid concern about the fiscal impact of the left-leaning Moon administration's decision to hand out direct financial support to all households in South Korea amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook were supposed to receive 600,000 won (US$490) for a two-member family.

"Today, President Moon expressed his intent to donate the entire sum of his emergency disaster relief money (to state coffers)," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok told reporters.

The government is campaigning to encourage the wealthy to donate their share of the aid.

lcd@yna.co.kr
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