President Park Geun-hye called on officials Tuesday to strengthen policy coordination in her latest attempt to avoid possible public backlash following a series of tax and health care policy blunders.
Park’s conservative government has been under fire over its revised tax settlement scheme and suspension of plans to revamp the national health insurance system meant to fairly distribute the public burden.
The policy blunders, blamed on poor inter-ministerial consultation, took a toll on Park’s approval rating. Last week, Park’s approval rating dropped to an all-time low of 29 percent in the Gallup poll.
Park also called on officials to make thorough preparations before implementing policies and to make sure that even small side effects won’t occur.
“I hope that the presidential office and the Cabinet will strengthen prior consultations and coordination” Park said in a Cabinet meeting.
The comments came two days after the government announced a plan to launch a joint consultative body meant to better coordinate policies between the Cabinet and the presidential office.
She also called on officials to ensure that legislations meant to root out child abuse at daycare centers pass through parliament this month.
A series of child abuse incidents took place at some daycare centers, including one in which a female teacher was seen in footage from security cameras punching a 4-year-old girl on the side of her head. The girl fell on the floor with her two legs up in the air.
The incident has caused a national uproar, prompting the government and the ruling Saenuri Party to unveil a set of measures to toughen punishment for child abuse at daycare centers.
Also Tuesday, Park expressed gratitude for the first wave of health care workers who have returned home after treating patients in Ebola-hit Sierra Leone for about one month. (Yonhap)
