Kim Dong-yeon: "I will make Gyeonggi-do a place where construction wage arrears are not a concern"

Gyeonggi Province is joining forces with construction-related organizations in the Gyeonggi area and the Central Regional Employment and Labor Office to create a "Gyeonggi Province Free of Construction Wage Arrears."

On the 19th, Gyeonggi Province announced that it signed a business agreement for the creation of a "Gyeonggi Province Free of Construction Wage Arrears" at Seohui Hall in the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office with the Central Regional Employment and Labor Office, the Gyeonggi Chapter of the Korea Construction Association, the Gyeonggi Chapter of the Korea Specialty Contractors Association, the Gyeonggi Chapter of the Korea Mechanical Equipment Construction Association, and the Gyeonggi Chapter of the Korea Construction Machinery Association.

At the signing ceremony, Gyeonggi Governor Kim Dong-yeon said, "If it has been 5, 10, or 20 years since someone has worried about whether they will receive their salary on payday, it is hard to understand the feelings of those actually in such a situation. I hope public officials in charge of wage arrears work with genuine concern, not as third parties but as those truly involved."

Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province (third from the left), is taking a commemorative photo after signing a business agreement for the creation of a Gyeonggi Province free from wage arrears in construction work with the Central Regional Employment and Labor Office, Gyeonggi Province Chapter of the Korea Construction Association, Gyeonggi Province Chapter of the Korea Specialty Contractors Association, Gyeonggi Province Chapter of the Korea Mechanical Equipment Construction Association, and Gyeonggi Province Chapter of the Korea Construction Machinery Association at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office on the 19th.

He continued, "There was a media report that construction wage arrears increased by 49% in one year. I would like to thank you for participating in the 'Gyeonggi Province Free of Construction Wage Arrears' business agreement," adding, "In return, Gyeonggi Province will make great efforts to improve the quality of life for residents and the development of Gyeonggi Province, not only through large-scale development in the northern, western, and eastern regions but also through projects such as the railway (announcement of the establishment of the Gyeonggi Province Railway Basic Plan) announced today."

This signifies the intention to revitalize the local construction industry by promoting large-scale civil engineering projects such as expanding infrastructure in Gyeonggi Province.

According to the agreement, Gyeonggi Province and each organization will work together to prevent wage arrears of socially vulnerable construction participants by strengthening on-site investigations of unfair companies, establishing a pre-investigation system, cooperating in promoting private self-regulation activities, and improving institutional infrastructure through cooperation with city and county governments, thereby enabling sound local companies to grow further.

Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province has operated a subcontracting corruption reporting center and promoted pre-consulting for public construction projects to foster a fair and sound construction culture. Going forward, it will strengthen education for the province and city/county governments and produce and distribute guidelines to prevent wage arrears.