Attendance at the National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee Plenary Meeting
"Intention to Support Independence, Not Dependence on Unemployment Benefits"
Lee Jeong-sik, Minister of Employment and Labor, recently expressed regret over the controversy surrounding the remark "buying luxury goods with unemployment benefits" made at a government-ruling party public hearing aimed at improving the unemployment benefits system.
On the 14th, Minister Lee attended the full meeting of the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee, and in response to a related question from Lee Eun-ju, a lawmaker from the Justice Party, he said, "(The speaker) has been in charge of the relevant work on-site for 13 years, and the intention was to convey the vivid voices from the field and ensure that unemployment benefits operate properly in line with the purpose of the system, but only part of it was highlighted," expressing his thoughts on the matter.
When Lawmaker Lee Eun-ju asked about the controversial remark, saying, "A government official made a statement at a public hearing that you might see on an anonymous internet bulletin board. How much do you belittle young people and women and hold prejudices to say such things carelessly? Minister, do you think the same?" Minister Lee replied, "Of course not."
Lawmaker Lee emphasized, "Unemployment benefits are legitimately received by employment insurance subscribers who pay premiums," and added, "The Ministry of Employment and Labor should not treat women and young people as a group that indulges in luxury or enjoyment and speak in such a manner."
In response, Minister Lee said, "The essence and core of the unemployment benefits system is to help people become self-reliant by promoting reemployment quickly and enhancing their willingness to work rather than relying on unemployment benefits."
He continued, "The OECD released a report on the Korean economy last September," and explained, "Experts who deeply studied and researched the Korean economy recommended improving the part where, unlike anywhere else in the world, in South Korea, the minimum wage threshold is reversed such that receiving job-seeking benefits results in higher income than working at a minimum wage workplace."
He added, "The reform of the employment insurance system is not about cracking down on labor unions or vulnerable groups but about properly protecting vulnerable groups and creating conditions for democratic and rational development of labor relations and labor movements," and continued, "If unemployment and unemployment benefits repeat, one cannot escape the trap. The goal is to promote employment quickly and help people become self-reliant through reemployment."
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