Politics · South Korea · 12 mins ago
South Korea sets up task force to address economic inequality
South Korea has set up a government task force to address widening inequality.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance and Economy Minister Lee Hyung-il will lead it.
Five working groups will focus on gaps in the labor market, between businesses, across regions, between generations and in society.
The government says economic growth has not benefited everyone equally, and that changes such as the spread of artificial intelligence could deepen divisions.
The groups are due to meet weekly, while a coordinating team will meet at least twice a month.
The government plans to discuss proposals by early next month and report them to the task force.
It aims to agree on measures by the end of the year and set out its direction in the 2027 Economic Growth Strategy.
South Korea announced a government-wide task force to address widening economic inequality.
The task force will be led by the deputy prime minister for economic affairs and include five working groups.
The groups will focus on gaps in the labor market, industry, regions, generations and society.
The government plans to develop policy directions for the five areas by early next month.
It says structural pressures, including the spread of artificial intelligence transformation, risk deepening a K-shaped divide.
- Who
- South Korea’s government, led by the deputy prime minister for economic affairs.
- What
- It is establishing a task force to develop policies addressing economic inequality.
- When
- The plan was announced on November 11, 2026.
- Where
- South Korea.
- Why
- The government says the benefits of growth have not spread evenly and that structural pressures risk worsening inequality.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The Finance and Economy Ministry announced the task force plan at an emergency meeting of economy ministers.
The government plans to bring policy directions for the five areas to the task force for discussion.
The government plans to set out agreed measures and directions for the following year in its 2027 Economic Growth Strategy.
- Task force leader
- Deputy prime minister for economic affairs
- Working groups
- Five
- Areas covered
- Labor market, industry, regions, generations and society
- Meeting schedule
- Working groups weekly; coordinating group at least twice a month
- Policy support
- Fiscal, tax, financial and regulatory measures
What people are saying
The fruits at the top are not being distributed evenly to the bottom, movement from the bottom to the top is constrained, and there are concerns that the foundations for self-reliance in vulnerable sectors are weakening.