[Election 2016] Inequality climbs up election agenda
2024-09-22 19:43:57 [行业动态] 来源:CCTV News Channel live broadcast
South Korea will elect new National Assembly members in a general election on April 13. The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles on the candidate agendas, election trends and notable runners leading up to the race. This is the fifth installment. -- Ed
As evident from self-scorning buzzwords such a “hell Joseon,” the ever-widening social polarization has led to aggravating public discontent, posing a major challenge to political parties ahead of the April general elections.
Their respective response has been different, depending on their stake.
The ruling conservative Saenuri Party claims that such a social gap can be reduced only by promoting growth and creating new jobs. The Minjoo Party of Korea, on the other hand, underlined the importance of fair opportunities, blaming the Park Geun-hye government for unfair distribution of wealth and benefits.
The Minjoo Party of Korea's interim leader Kim Jong-in (left) and the ruling Saenuri Party's policy committee chairman Kim Jung-hoon speak at their respective party meeting on Wednesday. Yonhap
“The party’s No. 1 election campaign is the creation of new jobs,” said the Saenuri‘s policy committee chief Rep. Kim Jung-hoon last week, upon announcing the party’s election pledges.
The president, too, has repeatedly called for a set of legislations to boost the employment rate.
“We are all well aware that when the economy has met a growth limit, the answer is to turn attention to new industries which may create hundreds of thousands of new jobs for our youths,” Park said Tuesday in a meeting with service industry officials.
She thus added pressure on the National Assembly to pass a series of pending bills on economic revitalization and labor reforms, which the opposition circles saw as infringing on workers’ rights and favoring employers’ interest.
Cheong Wa Dae and Saenuri had every reason to put employment at the top of its economic agenda.
The nation’s general employment rate, which the Park administration pledged to pull up to the 70 percent mark, stood in the mid-60 percent range over the past three years. Such underachievement was a key example of “economic maladministration” asserted by the opposition camp.
While the presidential office and ruling party struggled to pursue their employment vision, the Minjoo Party countered that a blind pursuit of growth cannot be a universal solution to economic polarization.
“Our goal is to build a virtuous circle so that the excessive profits of conglomerates may be distributed evenly to smaller firms and to households,” said the party’s election policy chief Lee Yong-sup last week.
His plans included the establishment of a presidential committee to solve inequality, the gradual increase of minimum wages and strengthened regulations on conglomerates.
Also, the party’s interim leader Kim Chong-in, who formerly served as the president’s economic advisor, has been focusing on pointing out the government’s economic underachievements.
“The point of the April 13 elections will be to judge the economic failure of the Saenuri administration over the past eight years,” Kim said Wednesday at a party meeting.
”The president, who is short of a proper understanding on economic circumstances, is continuing to mislead the people.“
Kim, who drafted the idea of economic democratization back in 2012, also stressed that the key task for the South Korean economy is to create a fair distribution system, criticizing the Saenuri’s quantitative growth initiative.
By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)
As evident from self-scorning buzzwords such a “hell Joseon,” the ever-widening social polarization has led to aggravating public discontent, posing a major challenge to political parties ahead of the April general elections.
Their respective response has been different, depending on their stake.
The ruling conservative Saenuri Party claims that such a social gap can be reduced only by promoting growth and creating new jobs. The Minjoo Party of Korea, on the other hand, underlined the importance of fair opportunities, blaming the Park Geun-hye government for unfair distribution of wealth and benefits.
“The party’s No. 1 election campaign is the creation of new jobs,” said the Saenuri‘s policy committee chief Rep. Kim Jung-hoon last week, upon announcing the party’s election pledges.
The president, too, has repeatedly called for a set of legislations to boost the employment rate.
“We are all well aware that when the economy has met a growth limit, the answer is to turn attention to new industries which may create hundreds of thousands of new jobs for our youths,” Park said Tuesday in a meeting with service industry officials.
She thus added pressure on the National Assembly to pass a series of pending bills on economic revitalization and labor reforms, which the opposition circles saw as infringing on workers’ rights and favoring employers’ interest.
Cheong Wa Dae and Saenuri had every reason to put employment at the top of its economic agenda.
The nation’s general employment rate, which the Park administration pledged to pull up to the 70 percent mark, stood in the mid-60 percent range over the past three years. Such underachievement was a key example of “economic maladministration” asserted by the opposition camp.
While the presidential office and ruling party struggled to pursue their employment vision, the Minjoo Party countered that a blind pursuit of growth cannot be a universal solution to economic polarization.
“Our goal is to build a virtuous circle so that the excessive profits of conglomerates may be distributed evenly to smaller firms and to households,” said the party’s election policy chief Lee Yong-sup last week.
His plans included the establishment of a presidential committee to solve inequality, the gradual increase of minimum wages and strengthened regulations on conglomerates.
Also, the party’s interim leader Kim Chong-in, who formerly served as the president’s economic advisor, has been focusing on pointing out the government’s economic underachievements.
“The point of the April 13 elections will be to judge the economic failure of the Saenuri administration over the past eight years,” Kim said Wednesday at a party meeting.
”The president, who is short of a proper understanding on economic circumstances, is continuing to mislead the people.“
Kim, who drafted the idea of economic democratization back in 2012, also stressed that the key task for the South Korean economy is to create a fair distribution system, criticizing the Saenuri’s quantitative growth initiative.
By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)
(责任编辑:资讯)
相关内容
- [Exclusive] Samsung unsure of Suga's future as brand ambassador: source
- 9 Cyber Monday air fryer deals: Instant Pot Vortex, more
- Why I still unlock my phone with an old school password
- Apple Store is down, and that means new iPhones are coming
- Military prosecutors indict intel official over leaking 'black agent' info
- Wordle today: The answer and hints for August 29
- Blizzard reveals the first official cities in the 'Overwatch' League
- AT&T miraculously avoids choking on its own bullsh*t in net neutrality pledge
- Slot 'confident' of Liverpool job as negotiations take place
- Pakistan Cricket at crossroads after shock defeat at Pindi
- Why I still unlock my phone with an old school password
- North Korean media call for reconciliation ahead of June 15 Joint Declaration anniversary
- 市投资促进局:以省第十次党代会精神为指引切实做好招商引资工作
推荐文章
-
Discover Secret Swimming Holes and Hidden History in Crystal River, Florida
Often called the Nature Coast because of its abundant wildlife, wooded forests, and mangrove islands ...[详细] -
UPDATE: Nov. 27, 2023, 9:30 p.m. EST This post has been updated with the latest pricing and availabi ...[详细]
-
35+ best pet deals to shop on Black Friday
UPDATE: Nov. 22, 2023, 3:00 a.m. EST This story has been updated with the latest pet deals ahead of ...[详细] -
Trump smiles with North Korea, threatens Iran
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press before signing a bill for border funding legislation ...[详细] -
The Atlas is home to all things peculiar and bizarre. While sometimes it seems like we’ve seen ...[详细]
-
An iPhone 8 without a fingerprint sensor wouldn't make any sense
In a few months, the wait for the "iPhone 8" will finally be over, and for a brief moment, we'll all ...[详细] -
城市道路交通服务质量的高低,不仅代表了部门的整体形象,更代表着一个城市的文明程度。为打好我市创建四川省文明城市专项行动的第一场战役,各市级部门以治理交通乱点、难点入手,全力推进道路交通秩序整治行动,营 ...[详细]
-
President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un / Korea Times fileSouth Korean President M ...[详细]
-
16 of the Most Epic Sandwiches Around the Planet
According to lore, the sandwich was invented in 1742 when a compulsive gambler was on a 24-hour hot ...[详细] -
“设立首问责任岗,就是要使便民服务中心真正便民。一旦村民到中心办事首问无果,经查属实,将按照党纪政纪严查严处有关工作人员。”全乡村村建立纪检小组6日上午,参加全市乡镇纪检组织规范化建设现场会的与会人员 ...[详细]
热点阅读
随机内容
- 'Terminator Zero' creators find fresh life in sci
- Why I still unlock my phone with an old school password
- Agency concerned about N.K. deficiencies in tackling money laundering, terrorism financing
- N. Korea blasts US bombers' flight near its coast
- The Composer Has No Clothes
- Dyson Hot+Cool air purifier deal: $200 off at Amazon
- Dyson Hot+Cool air purifier deal: $200 off at Amazon