The floor leader of South Korea's ruling Democratic Party has stressed the need to increase the flexibility and stability of the labor market.
During a speech to the National Assembly on Monday, Hong Young-pyo said the way the labor market is structured is one of the main contributors to South Korea's bipolar labor market situation, adding the problem cannot be solved unilaterally by the government.
He suggested several solutions such as upping unemployment allowances, and narrowing the income gap between large conglomerates and non-regular workers.
On the new peace paradigm on the Korean peninsula, he said rival parties should cooperate for the good of the nation.
Hong also highlighted the urgency to pass bills such as those on judiciary reform and the redistribution of investigative powers between police and prosecutors... as well as probes into corruption by senior government officials.