Investment in labor issues is investment in people and their future Let us strive for a society in which hard work is respected and hardworking people are happy I sincerely hope that the SMG’s labor policy initiatives, such as reduced work hours, living allowances for young jobseekers, emotional labor regulations, and employee representatives, will shape and lead the public discourse on labor issues in Korea. Sustainable and successful labor policy measures can come about only through a society-wide structure of discourse in which diverse stakeholders can participate. An ideal government not only enacts and implements good policies for citizens, but should also seek and garner citizens’ consensus by setting a good example itself. Seoul has now set out to transform into a society where workers are respected and appreciated. The prospects of this endeavor will only become stronger and brighter when the SMG listens attentively to the diverse voices and concerns of the civil society at large. - Introduction