President Lee Presides Over Cabinet Meeting
Orders Comprehensive Support Measures Including
"Overseas Marketing, Logistics Support, and Strengthening Intellectual Property Protection"
Work Reports from 300 Ministries and Affiliated Agencies to Be Made Public
"Says Non-Regular Workers Should Be Paid More for the Same Work"
Strongly Criticizes "Split Contract" Practices
On December 9, President Lee Jaemyung stated during a Cabinet meeting held at the presidential office in Yongsan, "The government will firmly support the leap of K-Food so that it can continue to grow as a strategic export industry beyond the domestic market." He instructed, "Relevant ministries should prepare comprehensive support measures such as overseas marketing, logistics support, development of tourism-linked products, and strengthening intellectual property protection."
President Lee said, "Global enthusiasm for K-Culture is driving growing interest in K-Food. From the beginning of this year through last month, the scale of K-Food has broken all-time records." He continued, "Demand for our food products from around the world continues to rise. Capturing taste is capturing hearts."
President Lee remarked, "When exporting products, there are ways to advertise the products themselves, but what is more important is likability." He added, "Recently, the positive perception of Korean culture has led to an increase in exports and product sales." President Lee emphasized, "Raising the preference for Korean culture and promoting Korea are extremely important. The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism must be seen as the most important vanguard for exports."
He also announced plans to transparently release the upcoming ministry work reports starting from December 11. Beginning with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, President Lee will receive work reports from nearly 300 ministries and affiliated public institutions by the end of the year. President Lee stated, "Through these work reports, we will accelerate the recovery of the people's economy, normalize the nation, and take steps toward a great transformation of Korea." He added, "Except for matters that must remain confidential, I plan to broadcast the entire contents of the work reports live." He further stressed, "Next year must be the starting point for a major national leap, with the six core reforms leading to tangible policy outcomes in people's lives and resulting in greater happiness for the people."
President Lee also shared his views on major issues. He stated that non-regular workers should be paid more than regular workers. He instructed the government to pay appropriate wages above the minimum wage and to check whether any ministries are engaging in manipulative hiring practices to avoid paying severance pay.
President Lee said, "The same appropriate wage should be paid for the same work, but the government currently pays more to regular workers or those with job security, even when they do the same work." He continued, "In fact, it should be the opposite. If job security is lower, wages should be higher." Citing Australia as an example, President Lee said, "In a rational society, non-regular workers are paid more for the same work. In our country, however, we pay non-regular workers 50 to 60 percent less."
He also ordered an end to the government practice of paying only the minimum wage to workers. President Lee said, "The government pays the minimum wage without exception to daily or non-regular workers. The minimum wage is a legal floor, not a recommended wage." He added, "The government should pay a fair wage for labor. Paying only the minimum wage as if it were a virtue is wrong." He instructed Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Younghoon, "The government must take the lead. The Ministry of Employment and Labor must change its perception." At the same time, he ordered an investigation into whether the ministry and its affiliated institutions are paying appropriate wages to temporary workers, and how other ministries and public enterprises are paying their workers.
Regarding the so-called "split contracts" practice, he strongly criticized the government as "immoral." President Lee pointed out, "Even the government fires all workers after 1 year and 11 months, just before they would become regular employees after 2 years. Some ministries offer 11-month contracts, have the worker take a month off, and then rehire them to avoid paying severance pay."
Furthermore, President Lee said that even if there is conflict during the legislative process, the government will carry out necessary tasks in accordance with the will of the people. This is interpreted as a reference to the strong opposition from the People Power Party and other opposition parties to the special bill for establishing a Special Court for the December 12 Military Coup, the bill to create a new crime of distorting the law, and the amendment to the Constitutional Court Act, all led by the Democratic Party, which have stalled the legislative process. President Lee said, "Reform originally means to shed one's skin. Change without conflict is not real change. For our society to move in a better direction and to normalize what is irrational, some conflict and resistance are inevitable."
Meanwhile, the Cabinet meeting on this day also submitted next year's budget plan, totaling 727.9 trillion won. This is the first budget plan of the Lee Jaemyung administration. The first budget plan significantly increases support, including allocating a record 35.5 trillion won for research and development (R&D). With the goal of making Korea one of the top three artificial intelligence (AI) powerhouses, about 10 trillion won will be invested in the AI sector.
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