"Could Not Read Books for a While"... Former President Moon Reveals Pain Over Pungsangae Controversy

Introduction of Former President Choi Byung-cheon's 'Good Inequality'
Regret over 'Mistakes and Failures' Evaluations of Minimum Wage Increase Policy

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Former President Moon Jae-in briefly expressed his reflections on the Pungsan dog controversy and other issues on the 22nd.

On that day, former President Moon opened up on social media (SNS), saying, "I couldn't read books for a while," and "I didn't feel like reopening the books I had put down." Since June 9th, former President Moon had not posted any updates on SNS, making this his first post in a long time.

As an avid reader who often shared book-related posts, former President Moon used books as a topic to reveal how much emotional hardship he had endured. Former President Roh Moo-hyun also shared the mental pain he experienced, stating in his last writing before passing that "I cannot read books or write." Former President Moon returned the dogs he had raised to the government after a controversy with the current administration over the designation of Pungsan dogs as presidential records. This controversy, known as the ‘Pungsan dog relinquishment’ issue, sparked debate among political circles and supporters.

Posting on SNS after a long time, former President Moon introduced the book Good Inequality by Choi Byung-chun, director of the New Growth Economy Research Institute, which criticizes the Moon Jae-in administration’s minimum wage policy and income-led growth.

Former President Moon said, "'Good Inequality' is a book that challenges common perceptions about inequality," adding, "Its arguments are new, fresh, and interesting."

He continued, "I deeply agree with the claim that a shift in perception is needed in the progressive camp’s economic policy discourse," and said, "This is essential for critical economics to develop into mainstream economics." He also recommended the book, hoping that discussions about inequality in our society would deepen and become more active.

However, he also added his opinions on the claims presented in the book. He said, "To criticize, the inequality in Korean society is much more structural and hereditary than what the book covers," and "I want to point out the limitation that the book only deals with the surface waves on the sea of inequality and does not look beneath the surface."

Former President Moon stated, "In particular, the fact that the book does not address asset factors such as asset income, which inherit and entrench inequality, is a clear limitation."

Regarding the criticism of the previous administration’s minimum wage policy, he said, "The significant increase in the minimum wage was a policy aimed at long-term effects while enduring short-term shocks, and it is very regrettable to conclude it as a failure or mistake based on the 2018 employment market shock, which was within the expected range," adding, "I hope that someday a long-term policy evaluation will be conducted using long-term statistical data."

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