President Moon Jae-in on Friday expressed "strong regrets" over a local business lobby's criticism of his policy to turn all irregular jobs in the public sector into regular employment, his spokesman said.

On Thursday, Kim Young-bae, the vice chairman of the Korea Employers Federation, bashed Moon's policy during a public forum, saying private enterprises are having a tough time due to growing calls to enhance job security for their irregular workers.

"The KEF, which is one of the primary parties that have contributed to social polarization caused by irregular jobs, should first take a period of sincere soul-searching and self-reflection on its part," Moon was quoted by his spokesman Park Soo-hyun as saying.

"I am deeply concerned that the job policy that the government and president have been pushing for as a major policy task would be left adrift due to the remarks that could trigger a conflict," the president added.

Moon, who took office on May 10, has vowed to realize what he calls "an era of zero irregular jobs" in the public sector. Moon also promised to create 810,000 jobs in the public sector during his five-year presidency.

The spokesman also stressed that the KEF "seriously misconstrued" Moon's job policy as the government does not intend to pressure private enterprises to follow its policy principle.

"The priority of the policy to turn irregular workers into regular staff lies in the public sector," Park said.

Park, then, stressed the president's position that the government, trade unions and employers must piece together their wisdom to address youth unemployment and the issues involving irregular workers.

The State Affairs Planning Advisory Committee, Moon's de facto transition team, also criticized the KEF, saying "pains are entailed in the efforts to bring normalcy to wrong vested interests."

"Business circles should feel the pressure ... Or else, society will not change," Kim Jin-pyo, the chairman of the committee, told reporters. (Yonhap)