Opposition parties step up offensives over job crisis

The largest opposition Liberty Korea Party floor leader Kim Sung-tae, center, speaks during a party meeting at the National Assembly, Tuesday. The opposition parties are stepping up criticism against the Moon Jae-in government's job policy continuing to ask for the resignation of his key policy aides. Some LKP lawmakers insisted on holding an Assembly hearing about the issue. / Yonhap

By Park Ji-won

The opposition parties are showing signs of forming a united front in criticizing the Moon Jae-in administration over the recent poor job data, asking for the resignation of his key policy aides. Some LKP lawmakers insisted Tuesday on holding a National Assembly hearing on the issue.

The largest opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party (BMP) and the Party for Democracy and Peace (PDP) are all criticizing Moon's “income-led growth policy.”

LKP floor leader Kim Sung-tae said, “Moon should also risk his job over the issue as he told his senior presidential secretaries to do so amid the economic slowdown and the exacerbation of employment indicators,” during a party meeting Tuesday.

“Regarding the income-led growth policy of Moon's government, the presidential office and government are making random statements.”

His remarks follow his statement Monday at the party's first comprehensive reform seminar where party members and lawmakers adopted a resolution calling for the abolition of the income-led growth policy.

Meanwhile, LKP senior spokesman Yoon Young-seok demanded the firing of five key policy aides: Cheong Wa Dae's chief policymaker Jang Ha-sung, presidential secretary for social affairs Kim Su-hyun, senior secretary for economic affairs Hong Jang-pyo, labor minister Kim Young-joo and trade minister Paik Un-gyu.

The minor opposition BMP reform committee chief Rep. Kim Dong-cheol said “it is the president's fault for depending on those Cheong Wa Dae advisors who led the failed policy,” asking defense minister Song Young-moo and Kim Young-joo to step down from their posts. PDP floor leader Chang Byoung-wan also said the labor minister should step down.

Meanwhile, LKP lawmakers on the National Assembly Strategy and Finance Committee held a press conference insisting they would push to “hold an Assembly hearing on those who are in charge of Cheong Wa Dae's economic policy and economy related departments.”

“According to data for July employment, the job market situation is a disaster,” said Rep. Yoon Young-seok of the LKP. “Based on Article 65 of the Assembly Law, we are holding a press conference to ask for a hearing by the finance committee,” Yoon said.

Citing past hearings on household debt in 2013 and the restructuring of the shipbuilding industry in 2016, Rep. Kim Gwang-lim said “the Assembly can hold hearings when it is necessary.”

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) floor leader Hong Young-pyo defended Moon's policies complaining about the opposition parties' “irresponsible political moves,” and adding that there were “multiple factors which affected the employment results.”

The income-led growth policy is one of the key economic strategies for the Moon administration which is being orchestrated by Jang Ha-sung, an economist and activist who has worked for chaebol reform and economic democratization.

The LKP also stepped up pressure over the disharmony between economic policy aides: Economy and Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon and Jang who showed their differences again over their policy directions for the job market following an emergency meeting with lawmakers, Sunday.

Kim said the ministry will have to consider improving and changing its policies as it reviews the effectiveness of those it has implemented on so-called “income-led growth policy.”

Jang, meanwhile, asked for more time and faith in the administration, assuring the effectiveness of income-driven growth.

Meanwhile, Cheong Wa Dae hinted at the possibility of policy change in a possible reaction to the criticism.

Asked about the possibility of a change to the income-led growth policy, a senior Cheong Wa Dae official said Tuesday that “Any amendment can be made, while not changing the key direction.”

Regarding the disharmony between economic key aides, the official added that “it is possible the two have differences. But I think they have the same goal. We can accept criticism about policies but it is not desirable to move into personal stories revealing personal data of officials' families.”