Imokhee, Vice Chair of the Job Committee, "Pouring Finances into Job Creation? It's Natural for Youth and Elderly"

"Job Fiscal Support, Should Be Increased Instead"
Focus on Win-Win Jobs, Prospects for 'Busan-Type Jobs' Success

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyun-jung] Lee Mok-hee, Vice Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Jobs, said, "It is natural for the government to pour finances into creating jobs for youth and the elderly," adding, "We need to do more." He also pointed out support for win-win regional jobs as one of this year's goals and anticipated that the public would soon be able to receive reports on the Busan-type jobs.

At a press briefing held on the 3rd at the Press Center in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, Vice Chairman Lee said, "There are claims that jobs were created by pouring finances, but that is not true at all. It is something that must be done and should be done more." He emphasized, "The average age of household heads in the lowest income quintile is 69 years old. Where and through what kind of labor can they earn earned income to live?" He added, "The proportion of public sector workers among all workers has increased from 8% to 9% (as of the end of 2017), but this is not high compared to the OECD member average of 21.3%."

Regarding the argument that creating a business-friendly country through regulatory reform should increase jobs in the private sector rather than the public sector, he explained, "When you look at the regulations that companies bring asking for relaxation, they are things that could cause serious harm to the lives of the people." He added, "It is regrettable that the outdated neoliberal ideas that were rampant in the past are still being discussed now." Vice Chairman Lee also mentioned that Korea’s National Health Insurance Service has about 20,000 personnel, roughly one worker per 2,500 citizens handling related tasks, whereas Germany has about 200,000 workers in similar services, about one per 400 citizens, emphasizing, "An increase in public personnel means an increase in the quantity and quality of public services."

At the briefing, Vice Chairman Lee predicted that win-win jobs related to the Busan-type and Chungbuk Goesan-type jobs would be promoted. He said, "The first form we will see soon is the Busan-type job," adding, "A win-win cooperation agreement will be signed soon, and we will be able to report to the public." He mentioned, "It will involve producing electric vehicle drive units, investing 208 billion won by 2022, and directly employing about 600 people," describing the participating companies as "companies recognized worldwide for their technology and quality." Previously, Busan City had promoted agreements centered on Corens EM and about 20 partner companies. He also noted that sufficient Goesan-type jobs could be promoted in the non-memory packaging sector.

Regarding discussions last month with Pawan Goenka, Chairman of the SsangYong Motor board and Mahindra president, about SsangYong Motor’s revival plan, he mentioned the need for higher-level self-help measures. He explained, "Chairman Goenka expressed his willingness to invest 230 billion won and explained the self-help efforts of labor and management," but added, "However, the problem with SsangYong Motor is not only deficits but also the lack of vision." Vice Chairman Lee said, "They need to present a mid- to long-term vision, such as in the future vehicle sector, but they are not prepared," adding, "There must be stronger self-help measures and efforts that the public can recognize."

On the issue of non-regular workers, he said, "In the past, all short-time workers were considered non-regular, but now there is a growing trend of voluntary short-time workers due to reasons such as childcare or hobbies," adding, "This aspect also needs to be examined." He explained, "Regarding the quality of jobs themselves, we should look into the structural issues of non-regular workers as much as possible, and if regularization is difficult due to various conditions, we should move toward reducing discrimination."

He also mentioned the relatively slow improvement in employment rates among people in their 40s. He said, "We need to promptly review and accelerate the manufacturing renaissance initiatives," adding, "If we also consider innovation in small and medium enterprises and the service industry, as well as job transition support services, the sluggish employment among people in their 40s will be somewhat overcome soon." Regarding the impact of the novel coronavirus (Wuhan pneumonia) on the job market, he said, "Initially, we will focus all efforts on quarantine and controlling the situation, and once the duration and market impact are understood, we can review the specifics."

When asked about his candidacy declaration, he said, "I thought I could policy-ize what I usually think about in about 18 months, but it has been 22 months," adding, "If possible, I think it is better not to leave this position vacant, and before then, I will not engage in election campaigns or related actions or remarks."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.