On the 22nd, Lee Jeong-sik, Minister of Employment and Labor, clearly expressed his opposition to the passage of the "Yellow Envelope Act" at the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee, stating that it would "cause conflicts and confusion in the labor field."
Immediately after the committee's decision, Minister Lee issued a statement saying, "As the minister responsible for employment and labor policies and enforcing the Labor Union Act, I cannot overlook the proposed amendment, which is expected to plunge the industrial field into confusion due to legal issues and negative impacts on labor-management relations on the ground, thereby undermining the rights and interests of the entire nation and workers."
On that day, the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee passed the Yellow Envelope Act with only opposition party members participating. The Yellow Envelope Act, which amends Articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union and Labor Relations Act, primarily limits the scope of corporate claims for damages against striking workers. It had also passed the plenary session under opposition party leadership during the 21st National Assembly but was ultimately discarded after President Yoon Seok-yeol exercised his veto power. The Democratic Party plans to process this bill in the plenary session on the 25th after passing through the Judiciary Committee.
Minister Lee pointed out, "The Constitution of the Republic of Korea guarantees the basic rights of workers, and the Labor Union Act exempts legitimate union activities from civil and criminal liability within the scope of the constitutionally protected three labor rights. However, the amendment disrupts the balance among constitutional fundamental rights."
He added, "The amendment grants special privileges to illegal actors simply because they are labor unions and effectively restricts victims' claims for damages, excessively infringing on property rights."
Minister Lee expressed concern, saying, "If the amendment is implemented, the industrial field will face severe conflicts and confusion due to indiscriminate collective bargaining and industrial actions, and the resulting damage and inconvenience will be directly passed on to the public."
He further stated, "I request that sufficient consultations take place during the remaining National Assembly deliberations to ensure that the efforts of our society, which have protected basic labor rights and aimed for cooperative labor-management relations while complying with the law, are not wasted due to the privileging of some unions and the normalization of strikes."
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