President Lee Urges Proactive Creation of Public Service Jobs...Calls for Active Fiscal Management (Comprehensive)

President Lee Jae-myung pointed out that, compared to advanced countries, the quality and quantity of jobs in the public service sector in Korea are lacking. He called on all ministries to proactively identify and create productive 'public service jobs.' He also emphasized that, as external uncertainties have increased due to the prolonged Middle East war, Korea must reduce excessive dependence on specific regions and pursue a sustainable, national interest-centered, pragmatic diplomacy.

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

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On April 28, at the Cabinet Meeting and Emergency Economic Review Meeting held at the Blue House, President Lee stated, “We are living in an era of job shortages, and in Korea, the quality and quantity of jobs in the public service sector are not very good.”

He cited the National Tax Service’s Delinquent Tax Management Team as a representative example and instructed Prime Minister Kim Minseok to conduct a thorough review of the capacity for public jobs at the department and bureau level of each ministry. President Lee pointed out that over 100 trillion won in taxes remain uncollected, stating, “Even if we deployed 10,000 people to collect an additional 10 trillion won, the net gain would be significant.” He explained, “There could be many such types of public service jobs,” and added, “This benefits everyone. It creates jobs and helps maintain social justice and order.”

He also stressed the need to discover public jobs in the social and safety sectors. “We don’t invest enough in social safety. There are many suicides, accidents, and industrial accidents,” he said. “While you cannot put a price on life, it is necessary to add more personnel if needed.” He continued, “The same applies to industrial accidents. We can consider increasing labor inspectors or employing safety personnel. Even if it’s just five or ten per division, when combined, it adds up.”

He urged active fiscal management to support these efforts. President Lee remarked, “Government finances are not something to be spent only if there is a surplus; the government is a key economic player.” He added, “The government also participates in economic activity. If we only keep reducing spending, the economy will stagnate-we must act efficiently.”

President Lee assessed that as the Middle East war entered its second month, external uncertainties were growing, and the shock of high oil prices was beginning to affect the real economy. He urged all-out efforts to maintain economic growth, stating, “True crisis management starts now; we must focus on maintaining economic growth through more precise policy responses.”

Regarding the high oil price relief payments that began distribution the previous day, he said, “Just as last year’s livelihood coupons sparked an economic recovery, this payment is expected to have a similar ripple effect,” and asked officials to “carefully monitor the application process to ensure that people who have difficulty accessing online services do not face inconvenience.” He also emphasized the need to “closely examine whether there are any institutional blind spots in support for groups heavily impacted by high oil prices, such as freight truck drivers and farmers.”

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

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Furthermore, President Lee highlighted that the prolonged Middle East war is changing the global economic order, and that Korea needs to reduce overdependence on specific regions. For sustainable growth, he stressed the necessity of an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven transformation and a shift to a recycled materials-centered circular economy.

President Lee said, “The geopolitical risks triggered by the Middle East war are driving structural changes in the global economy and security landscape. To secure stable growth momentum amid these waves of change, it is crucial to reduce excessive reliance on particular regions and to steadily expand our range of options, adopting a strategic and flexible, national interest-centered pragmatic diplomacy.”

He referenced his recent visits to India and Vietnam, noting, “Solidifying multifaceted cooperation is a highly desirable achievement for Korea’s long-term national interests,” and added, “We must continue to broaden our diplomatic horizons with the Global South from a strategic national interest perspective.” He also stated, “Naturally, we should also advance cooperation with our traditional allies,” and emphasized the need for “wisdom to build healthy, future-oriented relationships by resolving pending issues based on mutual respect, common sense, and principles.”

On national defense, President Lee said, “Why do we keep having this anxiety that we cannot defend ourselves without foreign troops? A nation must defend itself, and we absolutely can.” He continued, “We must be fully prepared to defend ourselves, conduct operations, and develop strategic operational plans,” highlighting the need to prepare for the transfer of wartime operational control and promote military capabilities.

Regarding the work performance of oversight and supervisory agencies such as the police, prosecution, National Tax Service, and Fair Trade Commission, President Lee said, “Informing the public about results has a general deterrent effect,” and called for active communication 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 known as the economic police. I appreciate your hard work and achievements.” He also requested a review of expanding disclosure and encouragement systems to allow the public to easily see how much companies are contributing to society, referencing corporate social responsibility systems he observed during his trip to India.

Additionally, regarding the Ministry of Education’s “Plan to Promote Democratic Citizenship Education,” President Lee stressed that, although the plan seems to be divided into many fields, it is ultimately constitutional education. He stated, “Democracy, human rights, peace, and unification are all included in the Constitution,” and emphasized that “the Constitution is a national agreement on the fundamental principles of our society.” He requested that students be able to learn the Constitution well through diverse learning experiences and engaging content. Regarding literacy education, he commented, “A deep understanding of language seems to require education in Chinese characters,” and called for discussion of Chinese character education in a spirit of goodwill and debate, not conflict or confrontation.

Regarding the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment’s “Plan to Promote the Transition to a Plastic-Free Circular Economy,” President Lee asked detailed questions about the methods and costs, stating, “The environmental sector is necessary and desirable, but how, at what cost, and through what process need to be addressed well.” He also suggested the need to raise the environmental levy on disposable products, proposing, “Please consider a system where the fee is linked not only to weight but also to quantity and size.”

In a subsequent closed-door meeting, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Economy and Finance presented reports on major real estate policy issues. According to Chief Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yoojeong, there was discussion on suspending the requirement for owner-occupancy when non-resident single-home owners sell homes with tenants, in the interest of fairness with multiple-home owners.

President Lee had previously requested a review of amending the enforcement decree after noting at the June Cabinet Meeting that it is reasonable to allow single-home owners to sell their properties. He asked for arrangements to enable a decision on this matter at a future Cabinet Meeting. The government had eased regulations to allow homes with tenants to be sold to non-homeowners when the scheduled end of the capital gains tax exemption for multiple-home owners in regulated areas takes effect on May 9. However, as concerns were raised that single-home owners could face reverse discrimination, President Lee requested improvements to address this issue.

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