By Choi Ha-young
The minor liberal Justice Party is increasing its presence under the Moon Jae-in administration, becoming an integral part of his reform drive.
The administration has adopted some policy proposals from the Justice Party, vowing to increase the minimum wage to 10,000 won ($8.87) per hour by 2020, and raise salaries for conscript soldiers. Expanding the coverage of state health insurance to more diseases was also the party's idea.
Hiking the minimum wage to 10,000 won by 2020 was originally a pledge made by Justice Party candidate Sim Sang-jung during the presidential race.
In December last year, Rep. Kim Jong-dae of the Justice Party submitted a revision bill to raise the salaries of conscript soldiers to 40 percent of the minimum wage ― around 540,000 won per month compared to the current 197,000 won for sergeants.
The Moon administration vowed to gradually increase the soldiers' wages ― 30 percent of the minimum wage in 2018; 40 percent by 2020; and 50 percent by 2022.
The Justice Party also had a strong say in Moon's personnel appointments. Nominees who were rejected by the Justice Party rarely survived.
The party rejected Justice Minister nominee Ahn Kyong-whan; Labor Minister nominee Cho Dae-yop; and Park Ky-young, the nominee for chief of the Science, Technology and Innovation Office. Moon eventually withdrew their nominations.
Moon went ahead with the nominations of Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Defense Minister Song Young-moo and Fair Trade Commission chief Kim Sang-jo, who were all approved by the Justice Party, despite objections from other opposition parties.
"Such an outcome proves that the Justice Party is accurately representing the citizens' call for society's reformation," Han Chang-min, the party's deputy chief who worked as a spokesman during the presidential campaign, told The Korea Times.
"People, who took to the streets last winter to oust then President Park Geun-hye, want the new President to take the right direction as they will not blindly follow him. They are who the Justice Party is speaking for," he said.
Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon invited the party's leadership to drink makgeolli, or traditional rice wine, together, Wednesday.
During the casual talks, the progressive lawmakers raised their voice against the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense. It is the sole party in the National Assembly having coherently stood against the U.S. missile defense system.
The minor liberal Justice Party is increasing its presence under the Moon Jae-in administration, becoming an integral part of his reform drive.
The administration has adopted some policy proposals from the Justice Party, vowing to increase the minimum wage to 10,000 won ($8.87) per hour by 2020, and raise salaries for conscript soldiers. Expanding the coverage of state health insurance to more diseases was also the party's idea.
Hiking the minimum wage to 10,000 won by 2020 was originally a pledge made by Justice Party candidate Sim Sang-jung during the presidential race.
In December last year, Rep. Kim Jong-dae of the Justice Party submitted a revision bill to raise the salaries of conscript soldiers to 40 percent of the minimum wage ― around 540,000 won per month compared to the current 197,000 won for sergeants.
The Moon administration vowed to gradually increase the soldiers' wages ― 30 percent of the minimum wage in 2018; 40 percent by 2020; and 50 percent by 2022.
The Justice Party also had a strong say in Moon's personnel appointments. Nominees who were rejected by the Justice Party rarely survived.
The party rejected Justice Minister nominee Ahn Kyong-whan; Labor Minister nominee Cho Dae-yop; and Park Ky-young, the nominee for chief of the Science, Technology and Innovation Office. Moon eventually withdrew their nominations.
Moon went ahead with the nominations of Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Defense Minister Song Young-moo and Fair Trade Commission chief Kim Sang-jo, who were all approved by the Justice Party, despite objections from other opposition parties.
"Such an outcome proves that the Justice Party is accurately representing the citizens' call for society's reformation," Han Chang-min, the party's deputy chief who worked as a spokesman during the presidential campaign, told The Korea Times.
"People, who took to the streets last winter to oust then President Park Geun-hye, want the new President to take the right direction as they will not blindly follow him. They are who the Justice Party is speaking for," he said.
Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon invited the party's leadership to drink makgeolli, or traditional rice wine, together, Wednesday.
During the casual talks, the progressive lawmakers raised their voice against the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense. It is the sole party in the National Assembly having coherently stood against the U.S. missile defense system.
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