[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, has proposed a 'Job Seeker Interview Support Service' as part of his campaign promises.
On the 15th, Lee posted a pledge titled "48,000 KRW for Interview Preparation, Is This for Real?" on his social media (SNS), stating, "I saw a post about a girlfriend preparing for a police interview who spent 350,000 KRW on makeup, which caused a fight. According to a survey by a job platform, the average expected cost for interviews by job seekers reaches 480,000 KRW."
He added, "To ease the burden on parents and prevent young people from struggling alone, I will introduce a 'Comprehensive Youth Interview Support Service.'"
Lee said, "First, we will support suit rentals, hair and makeup, and photo shoots necessary for interviews, and also provide resume and self-introduction consulting, as well as mock interview coaching with experts. We will establish support centers at the basic local government level or collaborate with sharing companies like Open Closet to provide these services."
He continued, "We will mandate the payment of interview allowances in the public sector. Young people knock on the doors of employment dozens of times, regardless of whether it is a public or private company. Shouldn't we at least reduce the burden starting with the public sector?" He added, "The Gyeonggi-do Youth Interview Allowance Program attracted high interest this year, with 20,500 people applying for 54,000 cases in one round. It is a verified project with an 85% satisfaction rate."
Furthermore, he emphasized, "Finally, we will expand voluntary participation from private companies by providing incentives such as 'Excellent Job Creation Company' to small and medium-sized enterprises that pay interview allowances. While expanding employment opportunities is important, we will start with measures that can immediately help job seekers in their employment activities."
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