[국제]Japan ‘Travel Support Suspended’ After Storm … “It’s Too Late” Cold Public Opinion

[앵커]

Japan’s Prime Minister Suga decided to stop the travel assistance business, which caused a lot of controversy even amid the spread of the coronavirus, but the aftermath of the storm is repelled.

Not only are the criticisms that responded to North Korean counterparts after the infection spread widely, but also the companies that have taken a major hit on their sales right away.

Reports from Tokyo correspondent Lee Kyung-ah.

[기자] [스가 요시히데 / 일본 총리 : 연말연시 집중적으로 대응할 수 있는 기회라는 생각으로 제가 (여행 지원 전국 중단을) 결정했습니다.]

After taking office, Prime Minister Suga finally temporarily suspended the travel support business, which was a key policy.

When the number of infected people surpassed the maximum of 3,000 per day and the Cabinet’s approval rating plummeted by more than 10 percentage points this month, they made an unwelcome decision.

[도쿄 시민 : 판단이 늦다는 생각이 듭니다. 확실히 여행 지원을 중지해서 감염을 가라앉히고 가면 되지 않았나…]

The related industry complains of grievances as sales were slow this year due to the crown crisis and disappeared until the end of the year and the New Year holidays.

[미우라 코지 / 숙박업체 대표 : 예약이 거의 차 있었는데 여행 지원 사업이 중단돼 취소되면 타격이 큽니다.]

The travel assistance business will be temporarily suspended across the country from the 28th, two weeks later.

However, starting with Tokyo and Nagoya, etc., the complex divisions they endure vary by age and disease status add to the confusion.

[하루키 카즈야 / 여행회사 관계자 : 너무 세부적으로 대상을 나눠 중지하니 현장 대응이 힘듭니다.]

When the complaints erupted, the Japanese government said it would compensate the company for half the cancellation fee.

As the sales reduction period extended, we also decided to increase the support fund for participating companies.

However, the anxiety of those living in the unknown crown crisis still remains.

[사가 미츠루 / 식당 대표 : 속상합니다. 가장 돈을 많이 벌 시기에 영업 단축을 하지 않으면 안되니까요.]

Experts believe that the current situation could have been avoided if Suga’s cabinet had responded vigorously a month earlier.

The Abe regime, which had been consistent with North Korea’s response to the start of the coronavirus outbreak, ended with the resignation of the prime minister.

It seems difficult for the Japanese people to sympathize with and understand the leadership of Prime Minister Suga, who has not learned lessons from the failure of the previous government.

I’m Kyungah Lee from YTN in Tokyo.

[저작권자(c) YTN & YTN plus 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]