Won Hee-ryong: "In-guk-gong Incident, a Clear Cut in Line Using the President's Chance"

Jeon Hee-ryong, Governor of Jeju, is giving a lecture at the 'Korea Future Innovation Forum' special lecture commemorating the opening of the 21st National Assembly held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 9th./Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] On the 24th, Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong expressed sympathy regarding the backlash from the 20s and 30s generations over Incheon International Airport Corporation's decision to convert security screening personnel to regular employees, criticizing that "the core of the anger is that it is unfair."

Governor Won wrote on his Facebook on the same day, "Young people who firmly believed in President Moon Jae-in's promise that 'opportunities will be equal, processes will be fair, and results will be just' are expressing feelings of betrayal," stating this.

He pointed out, "(The 20s and 30s generations) see it as receiving special favors through a 'presidential chance,'" adding, "The anger of the younger generation stems from the belief that President Moon Jae-in and the 586 generation do not genuinely aim to resolve issues of fairness and justice, but rather their real goal is to appear fair and just."

He continued, "In fact, the characteristic of the Moon Jae-in administration is to measure those on their side with an infinitely lenient standard, and the opposition with a strict standard, while pretending to be fair and just," and said, "To truly create a 'country without cheating and privileges,' laws, systems, and principles like 'waiting number tickets' should be established. Waiting number tickets are fair and predictable. There is no cutting in line."

He added, "From the perspective of young job seekers, this Incheon International Airport Corporation incident is a clear case of cutting in line. A clear special favor," and said, "I sympathize with that anger. The Korea we want is a country where opportunities are equal, processes are fair, and results are just. Not a country that only pretends to be so."

Meanwhile, on the 22nd, Incheon International Airport Corporation announced that it would directly employ 1,902 security screening personnel as security guards instead of converting them to regular employees of a subsidiary as initially planned.

However, some voices have emerged criticizing this measure as disheartening for current employees who entered Incheon International Airport Corporation after difficult exams and for job seekers preparing to join the corporation.

On the Blue House's national petition board, a petition titled "Please stop the regularization of non-regular workers in public enterprises" was posted. As of the 25th, the petition had received over 200,000 signatures.

The petitioner criticized, "The conversion of Incheon International Airport Corporation's non-regular workers to regular employees is truly shocking," and asked, "What crime have the job seekers who build their qualifications and study to enter here, as well as the current employees, committed?"

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