In a National Assembly speech on Feb. 10, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung announced plans to establish a “Committee for Recovery and Growth Toward a Basic Society.” He also proposed a four-day workweek, saying, “Productivity improvements should lead to shorter working hours.” Regarding exceptions to the 52-hour workweek, he said, “Trying to secure global competitiveness through long hours and labor exploitation is contradictory,” which differed from his recent stance.
At a New Year’s press conference last month, Lee distanced himself from his pledges on basic income, housing, and loans, saying, “Right now, creating wealth is more important than redistribution,” and that he was seriously reconsidering these proposals. He also emphasized that “growth is the top priority,” likely to appeal to centrist voters ahead of a possible early election. His “basic society policies,” which require massive taxpayer money, were never realistic. Yet, just two weeks later, he has brought them back.
Lee had said regarding exceptions to the 52-hour workweek, “I had no argument against allowing concentrated shifts, so I will consider it positively.” However, after facing backlash from party hardliners and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, he backtracked with vague wording. While mentioning “growth” 24 times in his speech, he also pushed for a four-day workweek and shorter hours. He framed this as shared prosperity, but his policies remain unclear.
The public is confused because Lee keeps changing his stance based on political gain. During his party leadership bid last year, he emphasized growth when his approval ratings dropped. Yet, he also pushed for cash handouts, surplus rice purchases, and the labor-friendly “Yellow Envelope Bill.” Meanwhile, key bills for national competitiveness, such as the Semiconductor Act, power grid expansion, and AI regulations, have been delayed. Despite appeals from businesses, he pushed through pro-labor, anti-business laws like the Severe Accident Punishment Act. His words on growth and pragmatism do not align with his actions, which lean toward ideology and populism.
Lee proposed a legislative recall system that would allow voters to remove lawmakers during their term. But critics argue that he would be the first target of this system. For the past three years, political turmoil and legislative gridlock have resulted from his attempts to block corruption probes and push through laws. His leadership has distorted and paralyzed state affairs. If he does not stand by his own words, his “inconsistency” will become his only “consistency.”
