Lee Jae-gap "National Employment Insurance Not to Be Introduced All at Once... Preparing Gradually"

On the 6th, at the KT Building in Gwanghwamun, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Lee Jae-gap, Minister of Employment and Labor, delivered a greeting at the "Cheer Up! Republic of Korea Job Town Hall Meeting" hosted by the Job Committee. This event was organized to share major achievements such as quantitatively and qualitatively improved employment indicators in the third year of job-centered national administration, and to reflect on-site voices for job measures to overcome the COVID-19 crisis. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] Lee Jae-gap, Minister of Employment and Labor, stated on the 6th that regarding the "Universal Employment Insurance System," which has been publicized mainly by the Blue House and the ruling party, "It must proceed step by step through sufficient social discussions and preparations."

At a town hall meeting held at KT Square in Gwanghwamun, hosted by the Presidential Committee on Jobs, Minister Lee said, "(Universal employment insurance) is a path we must take, but it is not a plan that can be introduced all at once."

The universal employment insurance system requires all workers, including special-type workers (such as private tutors), self-employed individuals, and freelancers, to enroll in employment insurance. Currently, only about half of all workers are covered by employment insurance, leading to criticism that the employment safety net is weak.

Minister Lee explained, "At this stage, the government is focusing its efforts on enrolling special-type workers and artists in employment insurance," and added, "We are also promoting the early introduction of the National Employment Support System."

The National Employment Support System provides low-income job seekers with a monthly allowance of 500,000 won for up to six months and offers customized employment services. Its main targets are small-scale self-employed workers, special-type workers, and youth who are in the blind spots of employment insurance.

Bae Gyu-sik, President of the Korea Labor Institute, also said, "For the universal employment insurance system, income verification, establishment of a premium collection system, determination of premium rates, and the level of unemployment benefits must all be decided at once," adding, "It inevitably has to be introduced in stages."

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