The main opposition party's presidential candidate Moon Jae-in said Monday that there is a need for a grand social concession in order to create more jobs in the country, an indication that he will make employment a key item on his election campaign agenda.
In his first public appearance as the presidential candidate for the Democratic United Party (DUP), the 59-year-old contender told entrepreneurs, labor leaders, civic group representatives and workers at Guro Digital Complex in southern Seoul that there is no better welfare policy than employment.
The ex-chief of staff to late President Roh Moo-hyun won all 13 regional primaries and "easily" grabbed the DUP party's presidential nomination on Sunday by winning a combined 56.5 percent of all votes cast.
He said people have the right to work and because jobs cannot be created solely by the state, workers, managers, consumers and the government need to work together and make necessary compromises.
"Jobs must be made through cooperation between businesses, labor representatives and consumers," Moon stressed. The remarks are in line with his acceptance speech, which made clear that fostering job creation is critical for economic growth and social welfare. He also emphasized that if he becomes president, he would concentrate on creating more jobs, so anyone who wants to work can find employment.
The first-term lawmaker added that Seoul will place greater importance on increasing support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), that hire the bulk of the country's workforce, create an index to measure employment of workers by companies, and strive to make irregular workers at public companies into regular workers. The last move could set an example for the private sector to follow.
"The fruits of growth and economic democratization must all be linked to jobs," he said. Moon said, in the future, every effort must be made to create better jobs, take steps to share good positions with more people by adjusting working hours, and improve low-paying jobs so they can become attractive to workers.
He said if he wins the Dec. 19 poll, a national job creation committee will be set up that will be dedicated to looking after such crucial issues as the youth unemployment problem.
On the economic democratization issue, which strives to help SMEs while curbing the power of family-owned conglomerates, Moon criticized unfair practices by big companies that hurt SMEs and pledged corrective measures.
The contender for South Korea's top elected office, meanwhile, paid a low-key visit to the National Cemetery earlier in the day, where he paid respects to late President Kim Dae-jung and those killed while defending the country.
He visited the tomb of Kim, who is a major icon of the country's democratic movement, as well as those of ordinary soldiers.
"The trip to the National Cemetery dispensed with ceremony and focused on his resolve to take power and open a new era for change in the country's politics," said Rep. Yun Kwan-suk, Moon's spokesman. (Yonhap)
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