Lee Hye-hoon: "The Cause of the Job Disaster Is Not COVID-19 but 'Income-led Growth'"

Lee Hye-hoon, People Power Party candidate for Seoul mayor primary election. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Former People Power Party lawmaker Lee Hye-hoon, who declared his candidacy for Seoul mayor, criticized the worst employment indicators since the IMF foreign exchange crisis, saying, "The real cause is not the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) but income-led growth (Soju-seong)."

On the 14th, Lee said on Facebook, "The real reason lies elsewhere, not COVID. The real reason is the Moon administration's trademark, ‘Soju-seong’."

He pointed out, "'Soju-seong's' representative policy tools, 'public jobs' and 'minimum wage increases,' are the real reasons behind today's employment disaster," adding, "The harm of public jobs not only blocks real jobs but also creates an optical illusion that job performance exists, thereby hindering problem-solving."

Lee questioned, "Real jobs should provide enough income to sustain a livelihood," and asked, "Can we really insist that public jobs paying about 250,000 won per month for picking up trash 30 hours a month or wearing a fluorescent vest to guide traffic are real jobs?"

He said, "Hong Jang-pyo, the symbolic figure of ‘Soju-seong,’ quietly left the Special Committee on Income-led Growth at the end of last year," and added, "I will watch with hope that the Moon administration has recognized the problems of ‘Soju-seong.’"

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