Yoon meets welfare, labor sector workers

By Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, March 23 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol met Thursday with a group of workers in the welfare and labor sectors, and asked for their support for his administration's welfare and labor policies.

Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee hosted some 110 people from 15 lines of work for a luncheon at the former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae and thanked them for their hard work.

While outlining his administration's welfare policy centered on helping vulnerable citizens, Yoon took an apparent swipe at the former administration of President Moon Jae-in, saying he believes it is "typical populist political welfare" to "indiscriminately distribute cash" in the name of welfare.

"Since its launch, our government has been pursuing not the kind of populist and political welfare aimed at winning votes but welfare for the weak that looks after and generously supports the socially weak and vulnerable groups," he said.

Yoon made a similar case for his administration's labor policies, saying they aim to root out illegal practices and violence at the workplace, and provide fair and just compensation to workers.

He particularly cited his government's proposal to revise the legal number of working hours, which is undergoing a review after the initial plan was characterized by critics as raising the weekly cap from 52 hours to 69.

"While pushing the working-hour flexibilization policy, we will make sure workers receive just compensation for their work and are guaranteed their rights to health and rest," Yoon said.

"We also plan to simultaneously enforce steps to specially consider weak workers whose right to choose and negotiation powers are limited," he said.

The luncheon was attended by workers at welfare centers for the disabled and children, caregivers, nursery workers, workers at job centers, labor supervisors and industrial safety inspectors, among others.

hague@yna.co.kr
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