PM says gov't doing its best to create more jobs, will continue efforts for smooth transition to shorter working hours
Arirang News
2018-06-28
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이낙연 총리 "일자리는 국정의 최우선 목표, 근로시간 단축은 주5일제에 비하면 작은 변화"
South Korea's Prime Minister attended a special ceremony today at the Blue House on behalf of President Moon who's recovering from a cold.
The ceremony was to introduce one hundred Korean companies for their exemplary efforts to create jobs.
Lee stressed that the government will do its best not only to create more jobs but also to seek a smooth transition while implementing shorter working hours and raising the minimum wage.
Our Blue House correspondent Hwang Hojun reports. South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said Thursday that the Moon administration's number one goal is job creation.
And, addressing critics of government spending, he said so far the lion's share of support has gone to the private sector.
"There is often this misunderstanding that we're only creating jobs in the public sector. But we used 83% of this year's 17-trillion-won budget to help private companies hire more. The government only spent 17% of it."
Lee was speaking at a special ceremony hosted at the Blue House by the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
He said the government is doing all it can to create jobs.
In particular, he said that simultaneously raising the minimum wage, reducing working hours, and encouraging temp-to-perm transitions... will result in not only more jobs but higher quality ones.
He did note, however, that the brunt of the changes might be borne by certain groups including young part-time workers, day laborers, and small business owners.
Lee insisted that the government should not and will not ignore their pain, no matter how beneficial that change may be,... and pledged to do its best to help them through.
Next week the maximum work week will be shortened from 68 hours to 52.
Lee stressed that the change won't be too painful for businesses... because at first the rule will only apply to companies with 300 employees or more.
"If you think about it, we started the five-day work week in 2004. Compared to that, the reduction of working hours is a small change. Working five days a week means 40 hours. And setting the work week at 52 hours simply means no more than 12 hours of overtime."
But to alleviate the burden, Prime Minister noted that the government will take the advice of the Korea Employers' Federation, which has suggested a six-month grace period to help companies make a smooth transition.
Hwang Hojun, Arirang News.
South Korea's Prime Minister attended a special ceremony today at the Blue House on behalf of President Moon who's recovering from a cold.
The ceremony was to introduce one hundred Korean companies for their exemplary efforts to create jobs.
Lee stressed that the government will do its best not only to create more jobs but also to seek a smooth transition while implementing shorter working hours and raising the minimum wage.
Our Blue House correspondent Hwang Hojun reports. South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said Thursday that the Moon administration's number one goal is job creation.
And, addressing critics of government spending, he said so far the lion's share of support has gone to the private sector.
"There is often this misunderstanding that we're only creating jobs in the public sector. But we used 83% of this year's 17-trillion-won budget to help private companies hire more. The government only spent 17% of it."
Lee was speaking at a special ceremony hosted at the Blue House by the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
He said the government is doing all it can to create jobs.
In particular, he said that simultaneously raising the minimum wage, reducing working hours, and encouraging temp-to-perm transitions... will result in not only more jobs but higher quality ones.
He did note, however, that the brunt of the changes might be borne by certain groups including young part-time workers, day laborers, and small business owners.
Lee insisted that the government should not and will not ignore their pain, no matter how beneficial that change may be,... and pledged to do its best to help them through.
Next week the maximum work week will be shortened from 68 hours to 52.
Lee stressed that the change won't be too painful for businesses... because at first the rule will only apply to companies with 300 employees or more.
"If you think about it, we started the five-day work week in 2004. Compared to that, the reduction of working hours is a small change. Working five days a week means 40 hours. And setting the work week at 52 hours simply means no more than 12 hours of overtime."
But to alleviate the burden, Prime Minister noted that the government will take the advice of the Korea Employers' Federation, which has suggested a six-month grace period to help companies make a smooth transition.
Hwang Hojun, Arirang News.
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