Mayor Yeom Tae-young: "Welfare Grand Compromise Committee Must Raise Issues for Second Round of Welfare Discourse"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young said that "the goal of the Welfare Grand Compromise Special Committee is to raise the issue of 'the second round of welfare discourse' in our society."

Yeom Tae-young, who chairs the Welfare Grand Compromise Special Committee, said at opening remarks during the "Welfare Grand Compromise Special Committee Advisory Board Appointment Ceremony and Meeting" held on the 27th at the office of the National Association of Mayors, County Governors, and District Heads in Yeouido-dong, Seoul, "We opened 'the first round of welfare discourse' for a full-scale transition to a welfare state through the free school meals debate in 2011. We must open the second round of Korea's welfare discourse that matches the eyes of the people," he emphasized.

He continued, "We have identified 'reestablishing welfare roles between central, provincial, and local governments' as the core task of the Welfare Grand Compromise Special Committee," and urged "Let us cautiously develop a roadmap for establishing a sustainable and orderly welfare system."

He also stated, "We must actively explain our concerns to the people and opinion leaders in society and seek their agreement. This is a task the Welfare Grand Compromise Special Committee must carry out."

Meanwhile, the committee appointed 17 advisory board members across four fields: ▲social welfare (7 members) ▲finance (5 members) ▲conflict resolution (2 members) ▲third sector (3 members).

Professors Lee Bong-ju (Seoul National University, Department of Social Welfare), Son Hui-jun (Cheongju University, Department of Public Administration), and Joo Sung-soo (Hanyang University, Graduate School of Public Policy) were selected as co-chairs of the advisory committee. Lee Sang-i, a Jeju National University School of Medicine professor who serves as representative of the Welfare State Society, will serve as chair of the public deliberation committee. As third sector advisory members, Professor Joo Sung-soo, Oh Geon-ho, executive director of the "Welfare State I Create" group, and Jung Chang-soo, director of the National Budget Institute, were appointed.

The Welfare Grand Compromise Special Committee under the National Association of Mayors, County Governors, and District Heads was launched last July. As of the 25th, 202 of 226 basic local governments nationwide, or 89.4%, have expressed their intention to participate in the committee.