Opposition presidential candidate Moon Jae-in pledged Tuesday to launch a five-year welfare plan aimed at creating jobs and stabilizing the economy if he is elected as the country's chief executive.
The 59-year-old candidate of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) has made welfare a key component of his presidential campaign, with a separate committee handling relevant pledges within his election camp.
On Tuesday, he attended the committee's first meeting at the National Assembly and promised to push forward his welfare pledges as soon as he takes office.
"(The committee) will draw up a five-year plan and announce it to the people, after which my transition team will establish an action plan," he said.
By law, South Korean presidents are allowed to serve a single five-year term and the next president will take office in February 2013.
The human rights lawyer-turned-politician also said he would adopt the welfare state as a vision for the country and his administration's philosophy, promising to become the first president to fully uphold the people's constitutional rights to pursue happiness.
"Only when welfare is properly in place can the economy be stabilized and jobs grow," he said, citing a series of indicators pointing to poor welfare, including high poverty and suicide rates, a low birth rate and an unstable job market.
Camp officials said the committee will be tasked with drawing up welfare pledges in areas such as jobs, balanced regional growth and labor relations, as well as for different groups such as children, teenagers, the disabled and the elderly. (Yonhap)