President Yoon: "If per capita GDP exceeds $40,000, polarization will be greatly alleviated"

Yoon Chairs National Integration Committee's Second Half Performance Report Meeting
Must Break Down Inter-Departmental Barriers to Develop Policy Proposals

President Yoon Suk-yeol is delivering a keynote speech at the 2nd Performance Report Meeting of the National Unity Committee held at the Yongsan Presidential Office Building in Seoul on the 13th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 13th, "The most important foundation for overcoming polarization and social conflicts and achieving national unity is ultimately growth," adding, "There must be a leap and rapid growth to reduce polarization and social conflicts and to successfully overcome the crisis of our democracy."

President Yoon made these remarks during his opening speech at the 'National Unity Committee 2023 Second Half Performance Report Meeting' held at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the afternoon.

He said, "There is a proverb that generosity comes from a full granary," and added, "When national income increases and the state finances are ample, the level of freedom and welfare enjoyed by the people can be dramatically raised."

He further explained, "Standard & Poor's (S&P) forecasts that South Korea's per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will exceed $40,000 by 2026," and said, "Once the per capita GDP surpasses $40,000, social mobility will become more active, polarization will be significantly alleviated, and the people will feel the changes in their lives."

He continued, "We will also spare no policy efforts to provide stronger protection for the socially vulnerable," emphasizing, "It is essential to closely analyze how government policies actually operate in the field of people's livelihoods, whether there are any unexpected side effects, and whether there is any mismatch or time lag between policies and the field."

President Yoon presided over the National Unity Committee meeting for the sixth time that day. This meeting was organized to report on the major activities of the second-term National Unity Committee, launched in August last year, for the second half of the year and to discuss policy proposal tasks discovered through communication with the field of people's livelihoods.

Regarding the approximately 100 policy proposals from the National Unity Committee discussed that day, including enhancing the self-reliance of small business owners, youth housing, and strengthening the role of the elderly, President Yoon urged the relevant ministries to break down barriers between ministries and departments to concretize and meticulously develop these proposals into policies.

He said, "I ask the National Unity Committee to continue to get closer and deeper to the people, listen to diverse voices, and propose many living policies," and added, "Also, please continuously discover concrete practical tasks that can achieve national unity."

Attending the meeting were Kim Han-gil, Chairman of the National Unity Committee, private committee members, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho, Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho, Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, and Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong, among others.