Lee tells ministers not to rush CPTPP decision, restart talks from scratch

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday directed ministers to abandon any predetermined conclusions on joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and restart dialogue from scratch, stressing that the consent of farmers and fishers and the national interest must serve as the foremost criteria. He also reviewed the government's progress on state affairs — with 92 percent of agenda items on track — and ordered officials to compile detailed charts on public housing and rental support measures for low-income residents.

Cheong Wa Dae Chief Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung conveyed the results of the closed-door session of the 43rd Cabinet meeting, which Lee chaired Tuesday morning, in a written briefing.

The closed session included a report on third-quarter progress showing that 521 of 564 action items under 123 state agenda tasks were proceeding normally, putting the overall implementation rate at 92 percent. Lee emphasized housing stability for ordinary citizens and directed officials to present jeonse and monthly rent support measures — including public rental and government-purchased rental housing — in a concrete tabular format.

The meeting also reviewed public safety indicators. Lee asked the Ministry of Employment and Labor for a detailed breakdown of the decline in workplace fatalities and, upon hearing that accidents at workplaces with fewer than 50 employees had fallen sharply, encouraged those present by saying, "When the government manages things intensively, results are bound to follow." He then noted that suicide deaths had also been trending downward and urged further effort, saying, "Please work harder to bring the figure down to the OECD average." Noting a report from the prime minister that local government leaders' attention was key, Lee added, "Let's consider giving local governments various incentives to further amplify the reduction in suicide deaths."

Lee also addressed regional development and new growth initiatives. After asking when a vessel on a trial run of the Arctic shipping route was due to return and being told it would arrive Monday, he instructed officials to give the project close attention, calling it "a great source of hope and a flag for the future of Busan."

On trade, Lee put communication with the farming and fishing industries front and center. "There are views that CPTPP holds significant strategic value amid a period of upheaval in the international trade order, and there are also very strong concerns from the farming and fishing sectors," he said. "Policy must be pursued by weighing the national interest on the premise of earning the trust and genuine agreement of farmers and fishers." He went on to say, "Do not rush toward a predetermined conclusion — start the conversation again from the beginning."