Blue House: Politics: News: Hankyoreh

President Moon Jae-in speaks at a meeting of senior presidential officials held at the Cheong Wa Dae Women's Pavilion in the afternoon of the 16th. President Lee Myung-bak is apologized on 16 for failing to fulfill his campaign promise last year to raise his minimum wage to 10,000 won by 2020. The two-year minimum wage increase rate for the second consecutive year was maintained at double digits, but some low-income workers lost interest and small business owners appealed for management difficulties.
"The goal of reaching a minimum wage of 10,000 won by 2020 is virtually impossible with the decision of the minimum wage committee," said Mr Moon, who chaired the meeting of presidential badistants in Cheong Wa Dae. I will do it. "I respect the decision on the minimum wage," he said, "I do not think that the rate of increase of the minimum wage can be a mechanical goal, and this can only be done by the will of the government. The government will do its best to achieve the 10,000 won minimum wage as soon as possible. "
This is the first time that Mr Moon comments on the decision to raise the minimum wage next year. The minimum wage committee decided on December 14 that the minimum wage for next year will increase from 10.9% (820 won) to 8,350 won. According to President Kim 's commitment, if you increase your minimum wage to 10,000 won by 2020, you should increase the minimum wage by 19.8% the following year. This is virtually impossible because it is higher than last year 's rate of increase (16.4%). Mr. Moon's apologies are the result of the recognition of this realistic situation.
Mr. Moon's withdrawal from the increase in the minimum wage, which is the first button of income-led growth, seems to have affected the recent deterioration of the various economic indicators. The National Office of Statistics (ONS) announced that the number of employees last month was only 106,000 more than the year before. The number of employees has been around 100,000 for five consecutive months since February, the lowest since the global financial crisis in February 2010. In particular, the increase in the number of workers during the first half of this year has been only 142,000, making it difficult to reach the goal of increasing the number of workers this year, an increase of 320,000 compared to the previous year. Previous year. The Bank of Korea has also revised its growth forecast for this year from 3% to 2.9%. In particular, low-income temporary and low-income workers and self-employed workers rebelled against the increase in the minimum wage. The main target of income-led growth is the criticism that they lost their jobs due to the increase in the minimum wage, or they were forced to abandon their activities because of wage costs. The Federation of Small Business said it would not respect the government's minimum wage. "The minimum wage, driving force for income-based growth, remains unchanged, but it's an inevitable situation that can not be controlled because of various realistic difficulties." "A minimum wage of 10,000 won can be attained during the term," said Cheong Wa Dae official. He said.
Kim Dong-yeon, Deputy Prime Minister of Economy and Finance and Finance, met with reporters and said: "I am afraid that the double-digit increase in minimum wage year-round next is a burden for the economy, Some age groups and some sectors have shown signs of realization of their impact on employment, and given their burdens, they can affect the business. 39, employment in the future. "
President Moon said, "To keep pace with the increase in the minimum wage, the most important is that the economy pays the minimum wage increase after the year and the next year. next year. "The government has increased the minimum wage and small management" I will do my best to protect the job market as well as the financing of housing, reasonable card fees, merchant protection and the system. Tax incentive. "
Sung Yeon Cheol Sung Joo Eun reporter [email protected]