The biggest task for the year ahead is economic recovery. That would be because the suffering resulting from the continued economic stagnation cannot be endured any longer. Now is a time when business, government, and the people all need to pool their strength together to pump life back into the economy.
To begin with, companies need to perform their most natural roles. Everyone will tell you that companies play the leading role in activating the economy. The most important thing they must do is to continue new investments. To invest, they have to be competitive. They must abandon the idea that they can survive by depending on government policy without being competitive. They need to stop grumbling with complaints about how government policy or labor-management relations make it hard to do business. This year one would like to see the right kind of "entrepreneurial spirit."
We call on the government to focus policy on protecting the "social weak" as they are left out in the process of intense competition. The need for an expansion of the social safety net becomes more urgent as the economy becomes more open and competitive. We are not just talking about the unemployed and the poor. The small-time subcontractors suffering under the high-handedness of the conglomerates, the increasing number of people employed as irregular workers, the traditional markets being sidelined by the large-scale discount stores and other "losers in the market economy." You cannot call our economy a healthy one unless those who needed it are given the help they need to get back on their feet and walk on their own again.
The people need to re-think their understanding of what is rational economic activity on the personal level. They need to start by giving up all expectations and affection for "abnormal consumer trends." The more transparent society becomes, it is inevitable that abnormal consumer activity that depends on secretive income decreases. Even if the economy recovers, one should not expect a big jump in income. In other words, people need to re-examine what constitutes reasonable consumer activity. The same goes for jobs. There is no such thing as a nice looking job in a situation where the economic structure itself is undergoing rapid change.
Economic recovery will only be possible when all the entities involved in making the economy happen have hope. Recovery will be a distant ideal if everyone criticizes each other, passes the buck, and gets pessimistic. Now is a time when we desperately need a sense of confidence, confidence that though times are tough now we can revive the economy if we work together.
The Hankyoreh, 3 January 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Editorial] Everyone Must Do Their Part for Economy |
