Independent presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo said Sunday that he would launch a non-political presidential body to discuss ways to create jobs and a better work environment.

“To resolve problems with job-creation, we need to launch a communication channel for key business members to share responsibilities and set a common goal. The market alone can’t improve job security,” Ahn told reporters at his camp in Seoul.

“If I become a president, I will hold a non-political discussion table to build national consensus (on job creation). I will discuss the matter with representatives from all business sectors and communicate with them until they generate an agreement,” he added.

The proposed presidential body would consist of key members from all business sectors and would include conglomerates, small- and medium-sized companies and the self-employed, he said.

The presidential candidate also sharply criticized the current government, saying it failed to create new jobs even though it injected a massive amount of money into state-led projects such as the four-river refurbishment project. Conglomerates have also turned their back on creating jobs by building factories overseas just to slash expenses, he added.

Ahn proposed a five-point plan to secure job stability through shortening working hours and sharing jobs, offering job training courses for people having difficulty in keeping jobs, raising the retirement age and creating women-friendly jobs.

To support irregular workers and small businesses, Ahn plans to launch a government fund to improve their work conditions, offer opportunities to develop professional skills and provide social insurance programs.

The plans include measures that would obligate schools, the government and state-run offices to guarantee regular jobs for casual workers who have worked at one company for more than two years. It would also grant incentives to procurement companies that offer permanent positions to irregular workers.

The presidential candidate said he would request conglomerates and state-run companies to create jobs for youth by implementing job-sharing programs.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)