President Yoon: "Reform is Unpopular... I Will Not Avoid It" (Update)

Yoon Reveals Direction for 'Three Major Reforms in Labor, Education, and Pension'... "We Must Start Now to Achieve the Final Version"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 15th, "Reform is an unpopular task, but we must not avoid it and must accomplish it." He especially emphasized pension reform, saying, "We will not evade our historical responsibility and mission." He also presented a concrete goal to deliver a completed version of pension reform either at the end of the current administration or the beginning of the next, promising, "We will conduct in-depth research and a public discussion process."

At the first national agenda review meeting held at the Blue House State Guest House in the afternoon, broadcast live, President Yoon said, "The three major reforms we must push forward (labor, pension, education) are essential for the sustainability of our country and ultimately for future generations."

Regarding pension system reform, he mentioned, "We must start now so that a completed version of pension reform, which can be sustained for decades, will be presented at the end of this government or the beginning of the next." President Yoon's judgment is that "pension reform is about ensuring that future generations maintain the will to work hard and live diligently, which is a matter concerning the sustainability of our country."

He also criticized the previous administration's handling. President Yoon said, "In past governments, whenever pension issues were raised, votes would drop, and since it did not benefit either the ruling or opposition parties, pension discussions were not seriously conducted, and during the last administration, the topic did not come up at all." While evaluating labor and education reforms as "continuously building systems," he explained that pension reform requires "very long-term research and public discussion, and once decided, it must be maintained for 30 to 50 years."

He also expressed his stance on labor market restructuring. First, he expressed concern about labor issues turning into political disputes and conflicts. President Yoon emphasized, "If labor reform is not achieved and labor issues become political disputes, both politics and the economy will fail." Regarding the stability of labor-management relations, he explained, "If disputes occur every day, both sides suffer significant losses," and added, "To maintain stable labor-management relations, the rule of law must be established." He further elaborated, "If one tries to achieve their goals by deviating from the law, it may be temporarily advantageous, but ultimately it damages the stability of labor-management relations and harms both sides."

He also commented on the recently ended collective transport refusal by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Cargo Solidarity. President Yoon said, "The Cargo Solidarity strike caused difficulties for the public and many companies. Many people watching must have thought that such a culture should not continue in the future," reiterating the importance of law and principles.

Regarding education reform, he mentioned, "It is not a choice but a necessity for a sustainable Republic of Korea to enable future generations to have international competitiveness." On this day, President Yoon explained education reform, emphasizing the need to strengthen regional secondary education and the plan to transfer university support to local governments, stating, "The core of the local era is education."

Related to education reform, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs Lee Ju-ho revealed an education reform roadmap, warning that if trapped in a uniform equality ideology, Korea's future would be bleak. The main point is to focus policies on ensuring children's basic rights to foundational academic skills. Additionally, he promised to actively utilize digital devices and AI in classes and to innovate teacher training institutions so that teachers can develop expertise suited to the new era.

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