SME Minister Lee So-young unable to give immediate answer on next year's minimum wage
SMEs Minister Lee So-young was unable to give a direct answer when asked about next year's minimum wage. When People Power Party lawmaker Cho Ji-yeon asked at a National Assembly audit on October 7 whether next year's minimum wage would be 10,700 won, Minister Lee simply replied "Yes." It was her first parliamentary audit, held just 15 days after taking office.
At the audit, the ruling and opposition parties clashed over the business environment for small and medium-sized enterprises amid energy and environmental issues. Democratic Party lawmaker Jung Jin-wook said "the Yoon Suk-yeol administration has devastated specific industries with political intent," citing the solar power industry as a prime example. Arguing that "small and medium-sized businesses bore the full brunt of the damage," he urged the ministry to provide full support, saying "extraordinary sacrifice calls for extraordinary compensation, and exceptional damage calls for exceptional relief."
People Power Party lawmaker Seo Ji-young referenced Minister Lee's responses during her confirmation hearing regarding the Fukushima contaminated water issue, in which she said she "does not view it as groundless rumors" and that "it is a matter for the public to judge." Seo emphasized that "over 150,000 tests have been conducted since the release, with a budget of more than 3 trillion won, and not a single result exceeded the standard limits." She also noted that China's tritium emissions of 1,054 terabecquerels exceed Japan's by six times, calling for measures to address radioactive discharge into China.
Kim Sung-won, chairman of the Trade, Industry, Energy and SMEs Committee, assessed that although Minister Lee had only been in office a few days, she had "done considerable homework." However, he expressed concern that "her preparation was based on materials written by officials," and urged her to look at issues more closely from the opposition's perspective, saying that is the role of a minister with a political background.
