Pledges on "Establishment of Youth Agency and 2-Year Postponement of the Serious Accident Punishment Act"

Releasing Customized Pledges to Win Votes
Small and Medium Enterprises File Constitutional Review of Serious Accident Punishment Act
Han Dong-hoon: "Putting Youth Political Participation at the Forefront"

The People Power Party poured out tailored pledges to capture the votes of small business owners, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the youth one week ahead of the April 10 general election.

The People Power Party's Special Committee on Gap Resolution announced on the 3rd that it would push for a pledge to postpone the Serious Accident Punishment Act, which applies to small businesses with fewer than 50 employees, for two years.

Lee Young, former Minister of SMEs and Startups and chair of the Special Committee on Gap Resolution, said, "We will support measures to help practically close the gap for small business owners and SMEs."

Handonghun, Emergency Response Committee Chairman and General Election Countermeasures Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is appealing for support for candidates Park Jeongha (Gangwon Wonju-si Gap) and Kim Wanseop (Gangwon Wonju-si Eul) in front of Lotte Cinema in Wonju-si, Gangwon, on April 3. 2024.4.3 Photo by Yonhap News

The Korea Federation of SMEs filed a constitutional complaint with the Constitutional Court on the 1st, requesting a ruling on the constitutionality of the Serious Accident Punishment Act. Since the end of January, the Act has applied to workplaces with fewer than 50 employees, but the SME sector has opposed it, saying, "The excessive penalty provisions impose an undue burden compared to the responsibility."

Chairman Lee explained, "This is to prevent confusion and ease difficulties in industrial sites such as SMEs and small business owners who are not yet adequately prepared, and to prevent side effects such as job reductions."

To address the manpower shortage in SMEs, practical measures were also presented. Through the pilot operation of the Overseas Shipbuilding Workforce Cooperation Center (Shipbuilding and Offshore Plant Association), a customized foreign workforce supply system will be introduced. Chairman Lee said, "At the request of the three major shipbuilders, we will discover excellent overseas talent in the first half of the year, select foreign workers who wish to work in shipbuilding locally, and enable them to be employed at domestic shipyards." Along with this, measures such as ▲revising the electricity billing system ▲reducing credit card payment agency fees ▲and revitalizing local small business development were also announced.

Earlier, Han Dong-hoon, the People Power Party's Emergency Response Committee Chairman, pledged to establish a Youth Agency under the Ministry of Population to attract support from the youth, who are considered a floating electorate. At a campaign event in Wonju, Gangwon Province, Han said, "The Youth Agency will coordinate youth policies," adding, "We will put youth political participation and rights at the forefront."