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| ▲ President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul on Oct. 30, 2023. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) Yoon-pension reform
(LEAD) Yoon vows to work for public consensus on pension reform
(ATTN: UPDATES with additional remarks by Yoon)
By Lee Haye-ah
SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed Monday to work toward producing a national consensus on pension reform, refuting criticism the government's proposal to "gradually" raise the national pension premium rate lacked substance.
Yoon made the remark during a Cabinet meeting held three days after the government announced a national pension comprehensive management plan, which outlined measures to "gradually" raise the premium rate to cope with a rapidly aging population but stopped short of offering concrete figures.
The proposal was to be deliberated at the Cabinet meeting before being submitted to the National Assembly.
"There are critical opinions that the plan has no substance and no numbers or is playing it safe ahead of elections," he said during the meeting at the presidential office, referring to the upcoming parliamentary elections in April. "However, pension reform is not an issue that can be wrapped up by presenting conclusive numbers without a basis to back them up or a social consensus."
Yoon said the previous administration only created confusion by presenting alternatives without a commitment to pension reform and argued his government has faithfully prepared for proper pension reform in order not to repeat the mistakes of its predecessor.
In particular, Yoon said the government has collected a vast database through more than 80 meetings with experts, 24 in-depth interviews with different population groups, and public opinion surveys.
"Even if it is difficult and hard, we will keep our promise to the people through a social consensus," he said, recalling his presidential campaign pledge to pursue pension reform based on bipartisan consensus, scientific grounds and public opinion.
"Our government will do our best to produce a national consensus on pension reform without considering political advantages and disadvantages," he said.
Yoon also summarized the results of his state visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar last week, noting it marked the completion of summit diplomacy with the "Big 3" Middle Eastern nations following his state visit to the United Arab Emirates in January.
He called on relevant ministries to do their utmost to take follow-up measures.
Yoon also instructed government officials to connect and communicate more closely with the public regarding their needs, saying "there is nothing that takes priority over responding promptly to the shouts of the people and the cries in the field."
Yoon later repeated the message in his closing remarks.
"The president said the people think there is a massive concrete wall between senior government officials and the people that doesn't look like it will be broken even if an atomic bomb explodes, and that they desperately wish for their breaths and voices to at least partially be delivered by opening even the slightest crack in that wall," presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon said during a press briefing.
During Yoon's overseas trip last week, presidential chief of staff Kim Dae-ki, senior presidential secretaries and lower-level staff visited 36 places over three days to communicate with the people, he added.
Meanwhile, Yoon also called for tough legislative and other measures against "jeonse" fraud, or cases of landlords taking large deposits from tenants and later refusing to return the money at the end of the lease.
"Jeonse fraud is a vicious crime that plunders the future generation," Yoon said, referring to a large number of victims being young people. "I ask the prosecution and the police to track the jeonse fraud criminals and their accomplices to the end of the Earth and punish them without fail."
(END)
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