Seoul mayor: Reject free lunch for elementary school students or I QUIT!

[Bluebear]

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Seoul's mayor is asking voters to reject free lunches for all elementary and middle school students in a referendum Wednesday that has become a test of how far a resurgent South Korea should go in developing a welfare state.

As rising costs batter the U.S. and European governments, the $370-million-a-year proposal has sparked months of heated debate, giving a glimpse of Asia's fourth largest economy at a crossroads. Having rebuilt after the Korean War and faced down a brutal financial crisis in the late 1990s, the nation is debating the role of government and how much it can afford in social programs.

Seoul already provides free lunch to 35 percent of elementary and middle school students, and the city parliament has approved raising that to 100 percent. A referendum is the only way for conservative Mayor Oh Se-hoon to reverse that decision. If he succeeds, the city would instead provide lunch for half of all students, including those in high school.

Oh has vowed to quit if voters go against him.

http://www.8newsnow.com/story/15313354/south-koreans-to-vote-on-free-school-lunch-program

[Wilms]

1. The People must follow the Will of the Politicians.

:shrug:

[LARED]

2. There is no such thing as a free lunch. nt

[LeftishBrit]

3. Thoughy this was a US Republican, till I read the headlne more carefully

Nasty, anyway. I hope the voters do go against him.

[Bluebear]

4. Exactly! What is the GOP doing in Korean policy?

[Javaman]

5. I see the ball lickers have gone international. nt

[MilesColtrane]

6. I bet he won't keep his promise/threat.

[LWolf]

7. Damn.

I wish our politicians would vow to quit if we don't support their neo-liberal agendas.