[Column] The Incheon International Airport Corporation Crisis, 청 Trapped in a Web of Misunderstanding

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] "I will open an era of zero non-regular workers in the public sector during my term."

This was the pledge made by President Moon Jae-in when he visited Incheon International Airport Corporation (In-guk-gong) on May 12, 2017. It was his first official external schedule after taking office. This is closely related to the president's determination to wipe away the "tears of non-regular workers," a shadow in Korean society.

The problem lies in the gap between reality and ideals. It is good to focus on the issue of discrimination against non-regular workers, but it could easily spread into another source of discrimination, unfairness, and conflict. What happened in front of the Blue House on the afternoon of the 25th is exactly such a case. Regular union members of In-guk-gong held placards saying "Opportunities are unequal, processes are unfair, results are reverse discrimination" and protested.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

When the company decided to directly employ 1,902 non-regular security screening personnel as regular security guards, the regular union members twisted President Moon’s election slogan to express their discomfort. Job seekers aspiring to work in public enterprises are also opposing "lottery employment" and are carrying out the "Broken Pen Movement." It is a bitter moment that a government born on the value of fairness is caught up in questions of unfairness in reality.

Is this misunderstanding due to a failure to properly understand the "goodwill of the president"? Hwang Deok-soon, the Blue House Chief of Jobs, appeared on some broadcasts to explain the facts, but will the controversy subside? The Blue House is escalating the issue with a "naive" approach. Although the policy containing the president’s will has led to a backlash in public opinion, not a single Blue House aide has visited the press office to explain.

It is hard to see the recurring similar controversies whenever the issue of converting non-regular workers in the public sector to regular positions becomes a social issue as a coincidence. Public enterprises are "dream workplaces" for people in their 20s. How would job seekers feel if someone, whose hiring route is unknown, is converted to a regular position in a public enterprise due to changes in government policy?

Archive photo / Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

Do you think the explanation called "your misunderstanding" can soothe their disheartened hearts? While there is some exaggeration of the controversy due to partial distortion of facts, that is not all. Providing sufficient quality jobs to young people is the fundamental solution, but that is not an easy task.

The same goes for solving the non-regular worker problem. Considering the speed of change in the employment market, preparing a standardized model answer is by no means a simple matter. The Blue House abandoning "short-term performance-oriented" approaches to show something within the president’s term and approaching with a long breath might be the starting point to untangle the complicated knot.