First Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Lee Ki-il, second from right, speaks during a press briefing at Government Complex Seoul in Jongno District, Seoul, Nov. 14. Yonhap
President Yoon Suk Yeol plans to announce a set of measures aimed at narrowing gaps in income, education and other areas early next year, a presidential official said Thursday.
The measures will be drawn up by the government after Yoon called for efforts to address widening inequalities in the latter half of his term that began Sunday.
"The government is carrying out a comprehensive review of policy combinations aimed at reducing polarization, and the president will personally announce the measures at the start of the new year," the senior presidential official told Yonhap News Agency.
Top among the measures is expected to be ways to tackle income polarization, particularly in the context of the country's "dual labor market" where a large divide persists between full-time regular employees and non-regular workers.
Yoon has stressed the importance of resolving polarization in the labor market, saying the gaps in pay and income can widen the divide between social classes and threaten democracy.
Narrowing the education gap is also a key administrative goal, with the government planning to close the divide between regions and social classes by supporting life-long education and education for socially vulnerable groups. (Yonhap)
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