'Postponement of Serious Accident Punishment Act' Fails... Ruling Party "Lost Words" VS Opposition "Should Have Brought It Sooner"

Settlement Possibility Predicted but Blocked by Opposition Hardliners
Ruling Party "Willing to Renegotiate," Opposition "Not Easy"

The People Power Party criticized the Democratic Party of Korea for the collapse of the negotiations to amend the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (Serious Accidents Punishment Act), which sought to find common ground between the ruling and opposition parties. The Democratic Party, which rejected the negotiation proposal due to opposition from hardliners despite the parliamentary leadership's willingness to accept it, retaliated by saying, "The government and ruling party should have presented the negotiation proposal before the law was enforced." The ruling party expressed willingness to renegotiate, but the opposition showed reluctance, making the prospects for further negotiations bleak.

On the 2nd, Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party, said at a floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly, "Seeing the Democratic Party ultimately reject the postponement of the expanded application of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act yesterday, I have fundamental doubts about whether the Democratic Party is truly a public party responsible for the people's livelihood and whether it intends to practice parliamentary democracy," adding, "If the legislature does not listen to the appeals of 8 million workers and 830,000 small and medium-sized enterprises, then why does it exist?"

Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the floor countermeasure meeting held at the National Assembly on the 2nd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Regarding the expanded application of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act to workplaces with 5 to 50 employees starting from the 27th of last month, the ruling and opposition parties negotiated since the end of last year over whether to postpone it, citing insufficient preparation. The opposition party presented the establishment of the Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) as the final condition for postponing the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. The government and ruling party proposed, after consultations, to establish the Occupational Safety and Health Support Agency, which excludes investigative functions but strengthens preventive functions, two years later. Although a breakthrough seemed possible due to the government and ruling party's progressive stance, the negotiation proposal was ultimately rejected at the Democratic Party's parliamentary meeting the day before.

Regarding the rejection of the negotiation proposal that accepted the Democratic Party's demands, Floor Leader Yoon said, "I am at a loss for words at the sight of a lack of any sign of good faith."

Hong Ik-pyo, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the policy coordination meeting held at the National Assembly on the 1st. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Hong Ik-pyo, floor leader of the Democratic Party, explained that he judged the government and ruling party's negotiation proposal on the Serious Accidents Punishment Act to be acceptable, but the party members ultimately did not accept it. Hong introduced on SBS Radio, "I brought it to the members to ask if this level of proposal was acceptable." However, at the parliamentary meeting, Democratic Party members opposed it, citing issues such as "the fact that the law has already been enforced," "recent consecutive industrial accidents," and "the presidential office's safety awareness revealed through the veto of the Itaewon Special Act." Hong shifted responsibility to the government and ruling party, saying, "If the government and ruling party's negotiation proposal had come a little earlier, we could have discussed it."

The ruling and opposition parties also differed in their views on further negotiations. After the meeting, Floor Leader Yoon told reporters, "If the Democratic Party presents another negotiation proposal, we will actively consider it." On the other hand, Floor Leader Hong said, "Given the atmosphere of the parliamentary meeting, it does not seem easy (to reconsider)."