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The Progressive Party held the "Oct. 31 Citizens' Rally for Livelihood Recovery" on Sejong-daero in front of Seoul City Hall Plaza on Oct. 31. / Courtesy of the Progressive Party

The Progressive Party held a large-scale rally in central Seoul on Oct. 31, calling for the government's excess tax revenue to be fully allocated to reducing inequality and improving people's livelihoods.

The party held the "Oct. 31 Citizens' Rally for Livelihood Recovery" on Sejong-daero in front of Seoul City Hall Plaza that afternoon. More than 4,000 party members and citizens from across the country, including Busan, Gwangju and Ulsan, gathered for the event. Participants filled the Sejong-daero area, holding a large banner reading "Use excess tax revenue to eliminate inequality" and calling for fiscal policies centered on ordinary people.

Progressive Party leader Kim Jong-hoon argued in his address that the benefits of increased tax revenue should be shared by the entire population.

"We are told we are entering an era of $40,000 in per capita national income, but has that figure ever appeared in ordinary people's bank accounts?" Kim said. "Now, when excess tax revenue is expected to exceed 200 trillion won, is the perfect opportunity to break down the walls of inequality in Korean society."

He added, "Instead of giving preferential treatment to corporations while constantly worrying about their reactions, we should give preferential treatment to working people and those who are sick and struggling."

Kim also called for a complete shift in the current government's policy direction.

"The Lee Jae Myung government was established by the people, who prevented an insurrection with their own hands," he said. "If it is a government born from the power of the public square, it must be clearly different from the previous government."

Representatives of labor groups, farmers' organizations and youth groups also attended the rally in large numbers to express solidarity. Social Democratic Party leader Song Chi-yong and representatives of labor and civil society groups took the stage, while speakers described the difficulties people face in their respective fields.

One job seeker who took the stage spoke of employment insecurity stemming from advances in artificial intelligence and housing difficulties. A subcontracted worker from the Korean Metal Workers' Union described wage cuts and pointed to the state's responsibility to eliminate discrimination against non-regular workers.

After the main event, participants continued their march through central Seoul to Cheong Wa Dae.

In a resolution, they presented seven demands, including "state responsibility for youth employment," "the provision of 1 million public rental housing units," "20 trillion won in investment to address the climate crisis," "state responsibility for care, medical services and nursing care," and "the full implementation of a basic income for rural and fishing communities."

They said they would ensure that budgets aimed at improving people's livelihoods were secured during the National Assembly's regular-session budget deliberations.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Shim Jun-bo