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| President Moon Jae-in speaks during a weekly Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap |
President Moon Jae-in stressed the need Tuesday for meticulous preparation to broaden South Korea's state employment insurance system in phases to cover the entire economically active population.
"It is essential at this time to strengthen the employment safety net and to expand the insurance (coverage) to those in special types of employment and low-wage part-time workers," he said during a weekly Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae.
He was referring to non-regular workers who are vulnerable, such as insurance agents, golf caddies, freelancers and platform workers. They are among the around 14 million economically active population here not covered by the insurance system.
"We can't achieve the era of the universal insurance system overnight," he pointed out. "We should develop it in stages. In particular, it takes a lot of time and effort to greatly expand employment insurance coverage for the self-employed."
He instructed the relevant authorities to explore realistic ways, based on a mid-to long-term scheme, in consideration of social consensus and how to finance it.
Delivering a speech marking the third anniversary of his inauguration Sunday, the president announced that his government would lay the "cornerstone" for employment insurance for everyone employed. Many agree that the fiscal burden is a key problem to resolve.
Moon also called for speedy actions to bolster the quarantine system amid concerns about a second wave of pandemic in autumn or winter.
His administration plans to upgrade the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) to the Disease Control and Prevention Administration to strengthen its expertise and independence, a move that requires the National Assembly's approval.
He requested that the upcoming parliament to open in late May handle the issue as a foremost task.
He also urged for an immediate push for the third batch of supplementary budget to help cushion the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
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