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| A man in silhouette stands in front of a bankrupt shipbuilder in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. More than 5,000 lost their jobs following its collapse in 2015. Yonhap |
By Park Hyong-ki
In the romantic comedy movie, "Dave," the U.S. president makes an emergency announcement that henceforth, his government's "main responsibility" will be helping every person find a job in their most difficult times.
A job will bring a "smile" to everyone's face as it will give "valuable meaning" to their life. And foremost, a person with a job will get "respect" in society, the president played by Kevin Kline says in a White House press briefing.
Then, his administration pushes forward with legislation that will help the nation achieve full employment, on a scale never seen before since the Franklin D. Roosevelt government.
Yes, it is just a fictional movie with such a tearjerker scene and a dramatic soundtrack.
But perhaps, this is the sort of drama this country needs from President Moon Jae-in at this moment when faith and confidence in the future of the economy is falling as fast as an Olympic diver diving into a swimming pool.
It is "too early" to judge President Moon's job policy, but his ultimate legacy will depend on how many jobs his administration has created for as many as possible regardless of their age, and how it helps them gain the respect they deserve in this society.
A permanent peace with North Korea through Pyongyang's denuclearization is very important.
No matter how much he wants to grab the Nobel Peace Prize, which many say should only be given after the North "completely, verifiably and irreversibly" dismantles its nuclear weapons once and for all, Moon's presidency will come down to what he has done for people's vocational needs.
Presidents such as Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are remembered most for their efforts in job creation, despite their flaws, scandals and mistakes in office. Clinton created the highest number of jobs of any U.S. president, followed by Obama, the Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed.
Starting the week of Oct. 22 when Moon's government will introduce a plan to help create jobs, he should have all his ministers ready to use whatever resources at their disposal for full employment.
He should also get the central bank on board for assistance in creating new industries and new jobs through its monetary policy like the Federal Reserve, which has been looking more closely at job data than inflation to decide its rate since the global financial crisis of 2008.
It is fair to say Obama had done this in unison with his secretaries and then with the Fed chairman. And he still managed to win the Nobel Peace Prize. His top priority was not winning that award, but was job creation followed by wage growth in the aftermath of the crisis.
Striving to create jobs both in terms of quality and numbers will not be easy given Korea's rigid, aging labor market.
But Moon needs to, at least, try and thrust forward now with greater power and energy in creating jobs and reforming the labor market than in achieving long-term peace with North Korea.
Moon will be left with fewer options as the time ticks toward the end of his term. Technically speaking, he only has two years left. In his last year in the office, he will not be able to do much, and will most likely to be a lame duck president.
