Kim Ki-hyun "Small Business Owners in Critical Condition Due to COVID-19... Minimum Wage Must Be Frozen"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] As the deliberation on next year's minimum wage begins today, Kim Ki-hyun, a member of the Future United Party, raised his voice insisting that the minimum wage should be frozen.

On the 11th, Kim stated on Facebook, "Businesses must survive in order to protect jobs."

He pointed out, "Both the management and labor sides are interpreting the COVID-19 shock only in ways favorable to themselves, so significant difficulties are expected this time as well. Even President Moon Jae-in, who raised the minimum wage sharply by 33%, has described the current situation as a 'wartime situation,' so even a slight increase would be fatal to ordinary people."

Kim said, "With the sharp increase in the minimum wage and the 52-hour workweek system overlapping, small and medium-sized enterprises and self-employed individuals had already fallen into a critical state long before the COVID-19 crisis hit. Considering the desperate situation where the economy and people's livelihoods are collapsing to the extent that a negative growth rate is forecast, it is right to freeze next year's minimum wage."

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