Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate, met with the Economic Organizations on the 8th and said, "Revitalizing the livelihoods of the people means revitalizing the economy, and the center of that is corporations." As the possibility of the Democratic Party's rise to power increases, this meeting serves as an opportunity to invite the candidate who declared 'centrist conservatism' to exchange policy suggestions. It is reported that discussions regarding flexible working hours, support for the restructuring of the petrochemical industry, and reforms related to corporate gift tax were exchanged during the meeting.
On this day, the candidate attended a 'meeting with presidential candidates' organized jointly by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, The Federation of Korean Industries, the Korea Employers Federation, the Korea International Trade Association, and the Korea Federation of Medium Business. He stated, "After traveling across the country, I hear many people say, 'Oh, I'm dying, it's hard to make a living,'" and added, "The era in which the government presents and leads the economic and industrial issues has already passed, and we must go in a way that trusts the expertise and capabilities of the private sector and is supported by the government."
He also remarked, "From the perspective of corporations, please suggest a path to grow and develop without causing harm to others and without making society worse." At a closed meeting, the candidate reportedly stated, as noted by Chief Spokesperson Cho Seung-rae, that "corporations are responsible for the economy of the Republic of Korea. The political circle will actively cooperate and collaborate."
The meeting included Chey Tae-won, president of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ryu Jin, president of the Federation of Korean Industries, Son Kyung-sik, president of the Korea Employers Federation, Yoon Jin-sik, president of the Korea International Trade Association, and Choi Jin-sik, president of the Korea Federation of Medium Business, along with over 300 business leaders from Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor, LG, and Lotte.
They presented the candidate with a proposal collection titled 'Suggestions from the People and Corporations for Future Growth.' This includes four key areas and 14 agendas: ▲ growth driving forces (fostering AI, regulatory innovation, energy policy, carbon neutrality, entrepreneurial spirit) ▲ new industry implantation (new businesses, service industries, scaling up) ▲ economic territory expansion (trade, overseas markets, export support) ▲ basic soil creation and revitalization (capital, finance, human resources, labor, safety, industrial regeneration).
According to the chief spokesperson, the candidate stated at the meeting regarding the 2025 APEC Summit to be held in October this year in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, "We must mobilize all available means to ensure that APEC proceeds successfully, considering the host's concerns regarding accommodation, with collaboration between corporations and the political circle." He further commented, "Since the attendance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Trump is very important, I hope we will work together to ensure their participation."