Following strong backlash from investors over the government's recently announced tax revision plan, President Lee Jae-myung has stepped in to order a comprehensive review.

The tax revision plan included the establishment of a 'productive financial ISA' that only permits domestic investment, a reduction in benefits under the existing ISA system, and a 'stock price suppression prevention bill' aimed at reducing inheritance and gift tax burdens. Criticism was fierce, particularly among young people and overseas stock investors, who argued that the plan restricted investment options and effectively forced investment in domestic stocks. The stock price suppression prevention bill also raised concerns about potential loopholes, as companies might only manage their price-to-book ratio (PBR) rankings during specific periods.

During a situation review meeting with aides on the 7th, President Lee, who was briefed on the investor criticism regarding the related policies, instructed a comprehensive reconsideration of both the ISA overhaul plan and the stock price suppression prevention bill. Regarding the ISA overhaul, President Lee reportedly strongly rebuked the officials, asking, "Why did you do this without proper preparation?" On the stock price suppression prevention bill, he also called for a review, stating that it "failed to capture the original intent of the revision."

Political reactions to the President's instructions were mixed.

Reps. Lee Eon-ju, Lee So-young, and Lee Hun-gi of the Democratic Party of Korea welcomed the reconsideration decision, maintaining their previous stance of criticizing the government's plan. Rep. Lee Eon-ju positively evaluated the President's corrective action, stating, "We must keep the original promise made to countless retail investors who were encouraged to open ISA accounts for long-term investment." Rep. Lee So-young remarked, "We will fix this. The Ministry of Finance and Economy needs to wake up," and Rep. Lee Hun-gi stated, "We will do our best to ensure the stock price suppression prevention bill, jointly proposed by Rep. Lee So-young and myself, passes the National Assembly."

On the other hand, the People Power Party criticized both the policy promotion and the reversal process itself. In a commentary, Senior Deputy Spokesperson Park Seong-hun stated, "Immediately stop this hasty governance of announcing first and then revising when the public pushes back," pointing out that without public resistance, the hasty revision would have been implemented as is. He added, "While the President ordered a review and reprimanded aides, when the public is outraged, they blame the policymakers and, once problems arise, claim the reporting was flawed," emphasizing the lack of prior verification. He further noted that issues such as the reduction of ISA benefits, the impact of taxing non-resident single-homeowners on the jeonse (long-term rent) market, and the adverse effects of the stock price suppression system were not filtered out in advance.

Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo also criticized the approach through social media, stating, "The ISA limit rollover and deadline extension must be fully restored," arguing against discussing taxes and laws without understanding the lives of young people and ordinary citizens.

Meanwhile, the stock price suppression prevention bill, originally proposed by Rep. Lee So-young, began with the intent to prevent companies from deliberately lowering their stock prices to reduce inheritance and gift tax burdens. The initial amendment applied to all cases where a company's stock price fell below 80% of its net asset value, but the government's version limited the scope to listed companies that met certain criteria. This was the backdrop for concerns that companies still had room for irregular practices. Immediately after the government's announcement, Rep. Lee So-young criticized it, saying, "The government's version undermines the very idea of the 'stock price suppression prevention law,'" and expressed her intention to correct the matter during the National Assembly deliberation process.