Debt Write-Off for COVID-19 Small Merchants: A Relief or Unfair to Those Who Paid?

When citing or quoting this interview, please explicitly credit the program SBS "News Hunters".

Copyright belongs to SBS.

■ Broadcast: SBS "News Hunters" Mon-Fri (

18:50–19:50

)

■ Anchors: Kim Jong-won, Yoon Tae-jin

■ Guests: Jung Yeon-hee (Chairman, Korea Supermarket Cooperative Federation), Huh Joon-young (Professor, Department of Economics, Sogang University)

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The government has pulled out the "debt write-off" card. The plan is to adjust the debts of small business owners who took out loans during the COVID-19 pandemic and have yet to pay them back, giving them a chance for a fresh start.

However, whenever the topic of "debt write-off" comes up, recurring issues are raised: fairness concerns that "only those who paid back their debts lose out," and moral hazard issues that it could send a signal that "if you just hold out, debts will be taken care of."

Where do you stand on the issue of "debt write-off"—for or against?

※ Detailed information is available in the video.

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