Kim Yong-beom "Focus on Hiring Direct Jobs for Non-face-to-face and Remote Work in Q1"

Kim Yong-beom, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, is delivering a keynote speech at the '3rd Innovation Growth Strategy Review Meeting and Korean New Deal Review Task Force' held on the 22nd at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] Kim Yong-beom, the 1st Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, said on the 22nd, "We will actively utilize non-face-to-face and telecommuting methods to intensively start recruitment and activities in the first quarter."

On the same day, Vice Minister Kim chaired the '3rd Innovation Growth Strategy Review Meeting, Policy Review Meeting, Korean New Deal Review Meeting, and 2nd Vice Ministers' Meeting on Prices' at the Government Seoul Office and said, "We will carefully monitor the execution status with related ministries to ensure there are no project delays caused by COVID-19."

The government plans to create 1.04 million direct jobs this year to prepare for employment shocks, with 80% of these expected to be recruited intensively in the first quarter.

Vice Minister Kim also stated, "Public institutions will newly hire more than 26,000 people, an increase of 1,000 compared to the previous year, and more than 45% of the recruitment will take place in the first half of the year." He added, "New recruitment in local public enterprises will be expanded as much as possible through management evaluation reflection, providing quality jobs to young people whose job search has been prolonged." He continued, "We will strive to create even a single new job not only through central government projects but also through the prompt implementation of local government job projects."

Additionally, a total of 28 billion KRW will be supported over the next four years for the 'Doctor Answer 2.0' project, which builds smart medical infrastructure. The scope of precision medical services using artificial intelligence (AI) will be expanded to 12 diseases, including lung cancer, liver disease, and skin diseases.

Meanwhile, Vice Minister Kim seemed conscious of the 'government-ruling party discord theory' surrounding the recent legislation on COVID-19 loss compensation, stating at the end of his remarks, "The government will do its best in its role so that the people do not suffer hardships in their livelihoods." Recently, Vice Minister Kim faced difficulties after indirectly opposing the ruling party's legislative push for loss compensation for self-employed and small business owners by saying, "It is hard to find countries that have legislated this," and was scolded by Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun with the remark, "Is this country the Ministry of Economy and Finance's country?"