"Young people these days have no intention of working at one company for their entire lives"
Former Prosecutor General Yoon's side clarifies, "The overall context and intent are completely different"
Yoon Seok-yeol, a preliminary candidate for the People Power Party's presidential primary, appeared on the YouTube live broadcast "All Day Labang," held on the 12th at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul, targeting 12 preliminary candidates for the primary. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate from the People Power Party, sparked controversy by stating during a meeting with university students that "there is not much difference between non-regular and regular jobs, or between large corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises," and that "if there is no significant wage difference, the distinction between non-regular and regular jobs is meaningless."
On the 13th, Yoon visited SK Bioscience's factory in Andong, Gyeongbuk, and then held a discussion with students at Andong University, exchanging opinions on youth employment issues.
During the Q&A session with students, one student asked Yoon, "I remember you previously said that establishing youth jobs is the nation's top priority. From a university student's perspective, youth employment is a very important issue, but from the perspective of self-employed people, if youth jobs are established and the minimum wage rises, it can become a significant burden. What is the way to address both issues simultaneously?"
In response, Yoon said, "Jobs are twofold. Either you grow the economy or you have to share with the older generation. Growing the economy quickly to create corporate jobs takes a long time. The part that can be done faster institutionally is to make the existing labor market more flexible and adaptable."
At this point, Yoon added, along with the controversial remark, "These days, young people do not want to work at one company for their entire lives."
Following the controversy, Yoon's campaign released a statement on the 14th saying, "The overall context and intention explained by the candidate to the students are completely different," and clarified, "Whether it is a small or large company, regular or non-regular employment, if efforts are made to pursue 'equal pay for equal work' and eliminate wage gaps, the distinction between regular and non-regular jobs will ultimately disappear."
They further stated, "It is not that the candidate failed to understand the preferences of young people or said that the distinction between non-regular and regular jobs is meaningless," and requested, "The conversation between the candidate and the university students contains many details. We ask that only partial excerpts not be taken out of context or reported in a way that misrepresents the overall meaning or intention."
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