Hong Ik-pyo "Extension of Grace Period Is Considerable"
Environment and Labor Committee Whip "Another Extension Means Abandoning Workers' Lives"
Legislative discussions to postpone the application of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (Serious Accidents Act) to small-scale workplaces were derailed on the 22nd. Although Hong Ik-pyo, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, hinted at the possibility of extending the grace period on the condition of a government apology, some Democratic Party lawmakers expressed opposition, dimming the prospects of the bill's passage.
The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee had planned to put forward an amendment to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act that included an extension of the grace period for workplaces with fewer than 50 employees, but the bill was excluded from the agenda. The amendment, proposed by Lim Eui-ja of the People Power Party on September 7, called for a two-year postponement of the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, which is set to apply to workplaces with fewer than 50 employees starting January 27 next year. During discussions between the party secretaries on the evening before, the bill was omitted from the proposed agenda. A People Power Party official from the Legislation and Judiciary Committee stated, "The Democratic Party requested to withhold the bill's submission, saying internal discussions are not yet complete," adding, "No date has been set for when the bill will be resubmitted."
The scene of an apartment construction site in Gyeonggi-do on the first day of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act enforcement, the 27th, which allows for the punishment of management officials if serious accidents such as worker fatalities occur. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
Earlier, at a meeting hosted by the Korea Newspaper and Broadcasting Editors Association, Floor Leader Hong said, "The government bears significant responsibility for not preparing at all during the two-year grace period for applying the Serious Accidents Punishment Act to workplaces with fewer than 50 employees," and added, "An extension of the grace period could be considered on the condition of a government apology for the lack of preparation." He further stated, "If the grace period is extended by two years, the government must present a concrete and definite roadmap on how to reduce serious industrial accidents during this period," showing a progressive stance on extending the grace period for the Serious Accidents Act.
The failure to put the bill on the agenda was due to opposition from members of the relevant standing committees. Lee Soo-jin, the Democratic Party's secretary of the Environment and Labor Committee (proportional representation), told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "Since 80% of industrial accidents occur in workplaces with fewer than 50 employees, postponing again would mean abandoning workers' lives," and argued, "As this law was passed with difficulty, the issue of postponement should be discussed at the Economic, Social and Labor Council." Lee added, "Yesterday, I discussed with the secretaries of the Industry, Trade, Small and Medium Enterprises Committee, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, and our Environment and Labor Committee," and said, "If the floor leadership has any proposals, I am willing to discuss them."
Until now, the ruling and opposition parties have been divided over the two-year extension of the grace period for applying the Serious Accidents Act to workplaces with fewer than 50 employees. Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party, expressed strong determination to prioritize the bill's passage within the regular session in an interview with a media outlet.
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