President Lee Urges Active Discovery of Public Service Jobs... Calls for Proactive Fiscal Management

President Lee Jae-myung stated that, compared to advanced countries, the quality and quantity of jobs in the public service sector are lacking in Korea. He called on all ministries to discover productive "public service jobs." He also emphasized the need to reduce excessive dependence on specific regions and to pursue sustainable, national interest-centered pragmatic diplomacy, especially as prolonged conflict in the Middle East has heightened external uncertainties.

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Cabinet meeting and Emergency Economic Inspection meeting held at the Blue House on the 28th. Photo by Yonhap News

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On the 28th, at the Cabinet Meeting and Emergency Economic Inspection Meeting held at the Blue House, President Lee remarked, "We are living in a time when jobs are scarce, but the quality and quantity of jobs in Korea's public service sector are not particularly high." He made these comments in this context.

He cited the National Tax Service's Delinquent Tax Management Team as a representative example and instructed Prime Minister Kim Minseok to rigorously investigate the capacity for public jobs at the division and bureau level of each ministry. President Lee pointed out that over 100 trillion won in taxes remain uncollected, saying, "Even if we employ 10,000 people to collect an additional 10 trillion won, it would still be worthwhile." He explained, "There could be many such types of public service jobs." He added, "This benefits everyone. It creates jobs and also upholds social justice and order."

He further stressed the need to discover public jobs in the social and safety sectors. "We do not invest enough in society and safety. There are many suicides, many accidents, and many industrial disasters," he said. "Although we cannot put a price on life, we must be willing to hire additional personnel if necessary." He continued, "The same goes for industrial accidents-there could be more labor inspectors or safety protectors. Even if it’s just five or ten people, if each division finds ten people, it adds up."

He also urged proactive fiscal management to support these efforts. President Lee commented, "Government finances are not something left over to be spent; they are a core economic agent." He added, "The government also engages in economic activity. If we only keep cutting back, the economy will die; we must act efficiently."

President Lee diagnosed that with the Middle East war entering its second month, external uncertainties are rising, and the shock from high oil prices is showing signs of affecting the real economy. He said, "The real overcoming of the crisis starts now, and we must devote our full efforts to sustaining economic growth through more sophisticated policy responses."

Regarding the high oil price relief payments that began being distributed the previous day, he said, "Just as last year's livelihood coupons sparked an economic recovery, this relief payment is also expected to have a similar ripple effect." He also requested detailed attention in the application process to ensure that people who have difficulty accessing online services are not inconvenienced. He added, "We must also carefully check whether there are any institutional blind spots in supporting groups severely affected by high oil prices, such as truck drivers and farmers."

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Cabinet meeting and emergency economic inspection meeting held at the Blue House on the 28th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

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Additionally, President Lee emphasized that, as the prolonged Middle East conflict is reshaping the global economic order, it is necessary to reduce excessive dependence on certain regions and promote a major AI transformation and a shift to a circular economy focused on recycled materials to achieve sustainable growth.

President Lee stated, "The expansion of geopolitical risks triggered by the Middle East war is driving the structural reorganization of the global economy and security." He continued, "To secure stable growth drivers amid these waves of change, we urgently need a strategic and flexible, national interest-oriented pragmatic diplomacy that steadily increases our options while reducing excessive dependence on specific regions."

Referring to his recent visits to India and Vietnam, President Lee said, "Solidifying cooperation in various fields is a very desirable achievement from the perspective of long-term national interests." He added, "We must continue to expand the horizon of diplomacy with the Global South from the perspective of strategic national interest diplomacy." He also stressed the importance of advancing cooperation with traditional allies, saying, "We need the wisdom to resolve current issues based on mutual respect and in accordance with common sense and principles, while building healthy and future-oriented relationships."

Regarding the defense sector, President Lee said, "Why do we keep feeling anxious, as if we cannot defend ourselves without foreign troops?" He emphasized, "A nation must defend itself. Of course, and sufficiently, we can do it." He continued, "We must be fully prepared to defend ourselves, conduct operations, and develop strategic operational plans on our own," highlighting the need to prepare for the transfer of wartime operational control and to promote military capabilities.

President Lee also commented on the work performance of oversight and supervisory agencies such as the police, prosecutors, National Tax Service, and Fair Trade Commission. He stated, "Informing the public of achievements also has a general deterrent effect," and called for active publicity and rewards. Regarding the Fair Trade Commission, he said, "It is the government's role to control the harms of monopolies, abuse of position, and excessive pursuit of profit. The Fair Trade Commission is called the economic police, and I am grateful for its diligent performance." Concerning the corporate social responsibility system he observed during his trip to India, he instructed that measures be considered to make it easier for the public to know how much each corporate group contributes to society, and also called for expanding disclosure and encouragement.

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