At the National Assembly’s audit of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, held at the Climate, Energy, Environment, and Labor Committee meeting in Yeouido, Seoul on the 15th, Minister Kim Young-hoon took an oath. This was the first audit of the Ministry of Employment and Labor since the inauguration of the Lee Jae-myung administration, and it saw intense questioning from both ruling and opposition parties regarding key labor policies, such as industrial accident penalties and worker protection.
The ruling People Power Party raised concerns about the upcoming implementation of the “Yellow Envelope Act” (amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act), which is set to take effect in March next year. Representative Yoon Sang-hyun pointed out that with only five months left until the law takes effect, clear standards on key issues such as determining primary and subcontractor employer relationships and setting negotiation units have not yet been established. The Yellow Envelope Act aims to broaden the definition of ’employer’ to increase the primary contractor’s responsibility for subcontractor workers and limit compensation claims against unions or workers. Yoon suggested that institutional improvements, such as amending enforcement ordinances or supplementary legislation, are necessary instead of just administrative guidelines.
Meanwhile, the opposition criticized the “Comprehensive Labor Safety Measures” introduced by the Ministry of Labor in September. Although the government has focused on strengthening penalties following repeated industrial accidents, the People Power Party believes that a focus on increased punishment and post-incident sanctions might adversely affect the labor market, particularly in the construction industry.
On the other hand, the Democratic Party argued that lenient penalties contribute to industrial accidents. Representative Lee Yong-woo referred to the “Aricel disaster,” a factory fire in June last year that claimed the lives of 23 workers, emphasizing that lenient penalties for illegal practices and the outsourcing of danger are being overlooked. He advocated for stronger investigations and increased penalties for serious industrial accidents on site.
The session was also marked by conflict between ruling and opposition party members over the issue of witness selection. People Power Party Representative Woo Jae-joon insisted that leaders from the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, who were tried for espionage activities, be summoned as witnesses. In response, Democratic Party Representative Park Hae-cheol demanded an apology, arguing that it was incorrect to consider bureau directors and heads of sectoral unions as leaders.