Former Honorary Chairman of the Korea Employers Federation Park Byung-won Appointed as Private Sector Chair of the Service Industry Development TF

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] It has been reported that Park Byung-won, former Honorary Chairman of the Korea Employers Federation, has been nominated as the private sector chairman of the 'Service Industry Development Task Force (TF)' organized by the government.

According to related industries on the 1st, the government recently nominated former Chairman Park as the private sector chairman of the TF. The government-appointed chairman will be Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho. The TF, with former Chairman Park as the private sector chairman, is expected to officially launch as early as next week.

Former Chairman Park served as Vice Minister of Strategy and Finance during the Roh Moo-hyun administration and was the Senior Secretary for Economic Affairs at the Presidential Office during the Lee Myung-bak administration. Afterwards, he moved to the private sector and worked as chairman of the Korea Employers Federation, chairman of the Korea Federation of Banks, and chairman of the Korea Service Industry Federation. Even while in public office, Park emphasized the development of the service industry. He viewed that manufacturing alone had limitations in job creation and stressed the development of the service industry as a solution to employment issues.

When the Service Industry Development Act (Seobalbeop) was first submitted to the National Assembly in 2011, former Chairman Park, as chairman of the Korea Service Industry Federation, urged the prompt passage of the bill. Although the Seobalbeop was first proposed in December 2011, there was strong opposition mainly from the medical community due to concerns that defining public service areas as part of the service industry could infringe on public interests.