President names new secretary for self-employed businesses

SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in on Monday named a newly created presidential secretary for self-employed businesses in an effort to help small shop owners in the wake of a steep minimum wage hike.

In Tae-yeon was named the senior presidential secretary for self-employed persons, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.

The new post was created a few weeks earlier amid growing public concerns over the planned rise in the minimum wage.

The tripartite commission on the minimum wage decided to increase it to 8,350 won (US$7.44) per hour for 2019, up 10.9 percent from the current 7,530 won.

The proposed increase will follow a 16.4 percent on-year spike that went into effect at the start of this year.

In, a native of Incheon, has served as the head of the coalition of small and medium-sized enterprises and self-employed businesses, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

The 55-year-old was one of six new presidential secretaries named in the first major reshuffle since Moon took office in May 2017.

The others included Kim Young-bae, a member of the ruling Democratic Party and former head of Seoul's Seongbuk District Office, who was named the new presidential secretary for policy coordination.

bdk@yna.co.kr
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