Yeo Secretary-General, SBS Radio Interview
"Correct Excess Profits and Hold a Fair Suneung"
Lee Cheol-gyu, Secretary General of the People Power Party, said on the 20th regarding the government's policy to dismantle the education sector's vested interest cartel that pushes students into the private education market, "Is it fair market pricing when some instructors, who are suppliers in the education market, earn annual incomes of 10 billion or 20 billion won?" He added, "It is naturally the government's duty to correct this flawed market."
In an interview with SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' on the same day, Secretary General Lee said, "Private education instructors are different from entrepreneurs who creatively run businesses and sell good products," adding, "They are laborers providing educational services but are making excess profits by selling something others do not have."
Secretary General Lee criticized, "Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, and the Democratic Party are currently attacking the government and the president over this issue," and said, "I cannot understand the world they desire or the policies they pursue." He also noted, "The proposal to eliminate killer questions was a pledge made by Lee during the last presidential election."
He further explained, "If questions not included in the curriculum are set, what standards should students study by? They inevitably have to turn to the private education market," adding, "Despite instructions to correct this, the failure to properly implement it is subject to criticism."
Regarding the proportion of killer questions in exams, he said, "It is not about whether it is 50% or 10%, but about conducting a fair College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT)." Secretary General Lee added, "Opportunities should be fair. The government and the president believe that questions should be set within the curriculum, and since this is not properly implemented, they are criticizing and demanding correction."
In response to former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok's criticism the previous day that "demonizing private education is not strategically correct," he said, "I do not want to evaluate an individual's remarks," but responded, "Taking excess profits is a crime and a social evil."
Secretary General Lee stated, "Generally speaking, competition should be fair competition within the bounds of the law," and added, "Taking advantage of unspecified many people and profiting from their losses, taking excess profits, is a crime and a social evil."
He continued, "I do not understand the mindset of those who defend this," and criticized, "It is merely nitpicking to criticize someone and raise policy issues." Secretary General Lee said, "If that logic is applied, hoarding should not be criticized either," and added, "Saying 'I buy and sell goods, so why should that be restricted?' is no different from the remarks made by former leader Lee. They are the same."
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