President Lee Jae-myung on the 20th pointed to domestic sanitary pad prices and said, "Consider outsourcing production entirely and supplying them free of charge." Presiding over a Cabinet meeting that day, Lee said, "I hear sanitary pads are 40% more expensive in Korea than abroad. If cheaper ones are made and sold, won't people with low incomes be able to use them?"
After noting claims that prices are high due to the "premiumization of domestic sanitary pads," Lee said, "If that's the case, why aren't cheaper ones being produced? People should be able to use products that meet basic quality," adding, "Right now the burden is too heavy, and if the government provides support, to put it bluntly, it's like just handing over money to those who would gouge." He continued, "We are considering studying making sanitary pads that are very basic and have the essential quality at low cost and supplying them free of charge," and said, "I have ordered (the ministries) to review it."
Addressing Minister Won Min-kyong of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, he said, "If it goes like this, the state must intervene," and added, "Consider fully outsourcing production and supplying them free of charge to certain groups." Instead of related fiscal support, the idea is to supply sanitary pads directly to consumers in need, such as those with low incomes.
It has been about a month since Lee mentioned free distribution, following the "ministerial briefings" last month. On the 19th of last month, during a briefing with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Lee said, "Perhaps because of monopoly and oligopoly, sanitary pads in Korea are said to be about 39% more expensive than in other countries. I don't know why they're so expensive," and ordered an investigation into sanitary pad prices.