"Temporary Protection Facilities for Abused Children Must Also Be Greatly Expanded"
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Council of District Mayors held its 156th regular meeting on the 21st and approved the original plan to strengthen the restrictions on bidding eligibility for companies involved in serious accidents. The core of the plan is for autonomous districts to tighten bidding participation requirements for such companies.
Additionally, the council approved a plan to significantly expand 'temporary protection facilities' for abused children and to establish and operate joint response teams between autonomous districts and the police.
According to the Industrial Safety and Health Act, companies involved in serious accidents can be reported by the Minister of Employment and Labor to relevant administrative agencies as a discretionary provision. The council pointed out that this lack of mandatory regulation reduces effectiveness. Therefore, they emphasized the need to amend Article 159 of the Industrial Safety and Health Act and Article 238 of the Enforcement Rules.
The council decided to strengthen bidding proposals at the autonomous district level for companies where serious accidents have occurred, judging that current regulations lack effectiveness. They argued that institutional improvements are necessary to strongly restrict bidding participation by public institutions and the central government.
The agenda to expand facilities protecting abused children will be actively pursued. The council expressed its position to make efforts by each autonomous district to increase the number of temporary protection facilities, which currently exist only in two locations within Seoul.
However, regarding the Judicial Police Duties Act, which is related to the routine prevention and investigation of child abuse cases, the government is preparing a system involving the police, autonomous districts, and medical welfare institutions together. Therefore, the council decided to observe the progress and postponed the agenda.
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