[Anchor]
President Lee Jae‑myung held a roundtable with leaders from the trucking and logistics sector, which is under strain from rising fuel prices.
He heard directly about the operational challenges they face as fuel costs climb.
He also pledged not to allow the safety freight-rate system — widely described as the industry’s equivalent of a minimum wage — to lapse.
This is reporter Lee Da‑hyun.
[Reporter]
President Lee visited the Uiwang inland container terminal in Gyeonggi Province, one of five container hubs nationwide that serve the Seoul metropolitan area.
While prioritizing responses to the crisis stemming from the war in the Middle East, he met directly with trucking and logistics officials who are shouldering high fuel costs and listened to their concerns.
President Lee began by noting that fuel prices have risen sharply because of the Middle East war and that the trucking sector, in particular, appears to be facing significant hardship.
「Lee Jae‑myung / President」 We’ve announced a cap on fuel prices and taken various measures, but those working on the ground may still feel that relief hasn’t fully reached them.
The safety freight-rate system became the focal point of the discussion.
The program guarantees minimum freight rates for truck drivers but currently applies only to those hauling export/import containers and cement.
When participants urged that coverage be expanded, the president directed relevant ministries to conduct a field survey to assess the situation.
「Lee Jae‑myung / President」 When I was party leader, I tried to expand the safety freight-rate system but wasn’t able to. As long as I’m in office, I won’t let it expire. If anything, I will expand it rather than cut it back.
He also instructed officials to explore ways to utilize idle land within the Seoul metropolitan area after hearing that high rents are pushing logistics warehouses to the outskirts.
Earlier, President Lee had lunch at the Blue House with former Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Lee noted that the three summit meetings held during Ishiba’s tenure helped restore shuttle diplomacy between the two countries.
「Lee Jae‑myung / President」 During your time as prime minister, Korea‑Japan relations stabilized considerably, and cooperation has continued to improve since then. I’m truly grateful.
Lee asked Ishiba to continue supporting forward‑looking Korea‑Japan cooperation, and Ishiba reportedly agreed that active communication and cooperation are crucial amid uncertain global conditions.
This is Lee Da‑hyun with Yonhap News TV.
[Video reporters: Il‑hwan Lee, Je‑hwan Yoon, Chang‑hoon Jeong]
[Video editor: Hwi‑soo Kim]
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Lee Da‑hyun (ok@yna.co.kr)
