[My Election] Self-Employed: "Hope 'Good Rent' Is Felt... It Must Start from Common Sense"

Self-employed individual Donghwan Lee

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] The novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has torn daily life apart. It is an 'inconvenience' for everyone, but especially some are worried not only about health but also about 'economic survival.' Amid this, a general election is being held. It is a moment that makes us reconsider the role of the nation and politics. It is not a 'someone else's election' but 'my election.' This is a proposition that applies without exception to everyone. We met five voters: a mother anxious about the postponed school opening, a pharmacist on the front lines of the mask war, a startup CEO hampered by regulations, a businessperson who calls the Kaesong Industrial Complex era a "golden age," and a self-employed person with nothing but sighs. [Editor's note]

Lee Dong-hwan (45), who runs a cooking pub in Seoul, recently carried out marketing such as offering 'fresh fruit immunity juice' free of charge to reservation customers. It was a desperate measure to recover even a little of the sales plummeted by COVID-19. "It was somewhat effective. Reservations increased mainly among young people, but it didn't last long. When news came that a confirmed case appeared nearby, benefits or anything else just seemed to be 'passed' over."

He is going through a painful time no different from other self-employed people. He says there is also a bigger impact because his business mainly serves group gatherings. Rent is paid regularly, so he is helplessly losing money.

Lee said, "Sales seem to have dropped by about a quarter," adding, "Just when I added brunch menus and distributed flyers for promotion, COVID-19 broke out. The flyers are not even accepted."

The most urgent issue is, of course, the burden of rent. The so-called 'Good Landlord' movement has arisen, and the government decided to provide tax credit benefits to landlords who reduce rent, but it has not yet been felt. Lee said, "There have been many talks about lowering monthly rent, but it just seems to end as a campaign," adding, "Even if the building owner has the will, they have to watch out for other landlords in the same area."

In this election, the most urgent issue is how much the rent burden can be practically reduced. Beyond that, it is necessary to establish a survival foundation for the self-employed. Lee said, "There is much controversy over disaster relief funds, but that is not nearly enough," adding, "We cannot just blame the government, but it is frustrating."

He also thinks the government's economic policy direction is too advanced. He said, "I think it is realistically difficult to raise taxes and emphasize equality policies like Nordic countries," adding, "It is a transitional period and still premature."

For him, 'my election' is 'common sense.' "First of all, it must start from common sense. The more difficult the times, the more important dialogue is, and for that, many people with common sense must be elected as members of the National Assembly. There is no vote for those who only pursue their own interests."

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