Lee Jae-myung: "Youth Have Become the Sore Spot of Our Society... I Will Create a Society That Gives Hope"

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential primary candidate and Governor of Gyeonggi Province, emphasized on the 18th, "We will create a country where young people suffering from double hardships can regain hope and live," on the occasion of 'Youth Day.'

On the same day, Lee said through Facebook, "I visited the Gwangju Youth Dream Bank today and listened to the stories of young people," adding, "Hearing the vivid voices from the field makes my heart even heavier."

He went on to say, "While the total number of suicide deaths is decreasing, the suicide rate among young people is increasing," recalling a news article. "Youth have become the sore spot of our society, and due to job losses and rising unemployment, their debt levels are increasing sharply compared to other age groups," he explained the unfortunate reality.

In particular, he noted, "Due to student loan delinquencies and living expense delinquencies, young people are driven to illegal private loans, and youth in provincial areas are bruised by concentration in the metropolitan area, discrimination against small and medium-sized enterprises, and academic discrimination." He diagnosed, "A society where youth cannot have hope cannot expect a future, and youth problems stem from a lack of opportunities due to low growth and intensified competition."

Therefore, Lee emphasized, "The core of solving the problem lies in fair growth and balanced development," adding, "Growth requires fairness, and to sustain growth, concentration must be prevented. Thus, fairness and balance are no longer matters of consideration but matters of survival."

He also added, "Youth in provincial areas face double hardships due to difficulties experienced as the youth generation, low growth, unbalanced development, and concentration in the metropolitan area, placing them in very tough environments," and stressed, "Balanced policies where the metropolitan area and provinces coexist are necessary."

Lee promised, "We must maximize the establishment of economic environments, educational environments, and social infrastructures so that talents are nurtured in the regions, and those talents do not move to the metropolitan area but plan their futures and do what they want in their respective regions." He pledged, "I, Lee Jae-myung, will create a society where one can live a fulfilling life without having to graduate from university, live in Seoul, or work for a large corporation."