Kim Taewan, Gwangju Gwangsangu Council Member: "Difficult to Achieve 'Job Special Zone'"

"Lack of Concrete Feasibility, Producing Only Discourse"
Gwangsan-gu: "Enhancing Sustainability and Implementation of Citizen-Participatory Dialogue Policy"

There have been concerns raised about the feasibility of the 'Sustainable Job Special Zone,' a major policy initiative in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju.

According to the Gwangsan-gu Council on the 14th, Kim Taewan, a Gwangsan-gu council member (Democratic Party of Korea, Suwan-dong, Hanam-dong, Imgok-dong), urged for countermeasures during a '5-Minute Free Speech' at the 294th temporary session of the Gwangsan-gu Council's first plenary meeting.

Assemblyman Kim Taewan. Provided by Gwangju Gwangsan District Council

Kim stated, "'The Sustainable Job Special Zone' has been given meaning only as a new policy attempt without any concrete alternatives," and pointed out, "It will be remembered as a policy that lacks practical solutions, as it is caught up in the notion of demand-centered dialogue and excludes the suppliers."

He added, "While successful job policies focus on attracting companies and reshoring that embody both economic and social value, Gwangsan-gu places more weight on a 'job reform experiment' through social dialogue based on existing industrial conditions, which is insufficient in realizing and spreading value."

Kim further emphasized, "Even in the process of social dialogue, there is a lack of corporate participation, insufficient compensation systems such as wages, and inadequate conditions for quality jobs, resulting in a lack of substantive direction," and stressed, "Labor policies should focus on securing budgets for job creation and their core essence."

Meanwhile, Gwangsan-gu stated in a press release that day, "Social dialogue with citizen participation is the best key to realizing democratic policies." The district added, "Given the reality that it is not easy to attract large corporations at the district level, the most feasible path we have chosen is to establish a sustainable job special zone based on citizen-participatory social dialogue," and continued, "We will communicate with the Gwangsan-gu Council and listen to the voices of citizens to ensure the success of this leading job reform policy."