[Anchor]

For those unable to benefit from the massive bonuses in the semiconductor industry and the rapid growth of the stock market, these developments feel like a world away. President Lee Jae-myung emphasized that the younger generation, in particular, feels most alienated in the current era, and that the government must take this to heart.

Reporter Park Yerim has the story.

[Reporter]

Presiding over his first Cabinet meeting since returning from his tour of Europe, President Lee Jae-myung pointed to asset polarization as a shadow cast by the semiconductor industry boom and the rapid rise of the stock market.

He stressed that the younger generation is the most alienated group in the current era and that they must be provided with more opportunities.

[President Lee Jae-myung: The government must take to heart the sense of alienation felt by young people, who see record-breaking bonuses and record-high KOSPI indices as stories from another world.]

President Lee cited the "Youth Future Savings" program, which helps young people build assets, as an example, and emphasized the need for swift policies in areas such as jobs, startups, and housing.

He also issued instructions to allocate additional budget to support the program even if the number of applicants exceeds the initial limit.

[President Lee Jae-myung: If it exceeds the limit, we should accept everyone, even if we have to inject additional budget? (Yes, we will try that.) Do it, just do it.]

Polling firm Realmeter released data yesterday (June 22) showing that President Lee Jae-myung's approval rating for the third week of June stood at 46.7%, down 4.8 percentage points from the previous week. Notably, the approval rating among those in their 20s fell by 6.2 percentage points.

A Blue House official explained the context, stating, "Policy moves to boost approval ratings among the youth are something a politician should naturally do," and added, "We will focus more on youth policies moving forward."

(Video coverage: Jung Sang-bo, Ha Ryung | Video editing: Nam Il | Design: Seo Seung-hyun)