II. Assessment in Specific Areas 1. Social Security and Education 5. Despite the existence of basic social safety-net framework, there are multiple blindspots of social welfare throughout the Korean society. However, the Government has cut the 2010 fiscal year budget for basic livelihood security system and increased the minimum cost of living by 2.75%, below inflation rate, without making fundamental efforts needed to improve the social safety-net that secures the minimum standard of living for disadvantaged people. 6. There is concern expressed over the current education policy focusing on freedom and competition that will possibly make entrance exams harshly competitive, perpetuate academic elitism, and widen education level gaps among social classes. Additionally, only a very small portion of the education budget is allocated for disadvantaged children. 2. Labour 7. The recent global economic crisis has severely effected temporary employees, women, and low income homes. There is a dire need of protection and welfare policy from the nation. The Government’s current basic support and protection policy is very insufficient, and rather is focusing on labour laws and the alleviation of labourer protection policy. As a result, citizens’ basic labour rights are being threatened. It is being proposed that labour rights are actually in retrogression 8. With the retrogression of the guarantee of the 3 labour rights, that was created through a group labour relations, the Government’s excessive municipal order and criminal and civil sanction practices in the group agreement is seen as the cause of this phenomenon. The induction of labour conflict is placing a hindrance in the stability and unity of the Korean society. 3. Gender Equality 9. Despite the fact that women have been increasing achieving a higher level of education, less than 50% were not able to participate in the economy. Only 64% of 2