Handuksoo: "Yellow Envelope Act Produces Illegal Strikes"... Policy of 'Unacceptable' Stance

South Korean Prime Minister Expresses Opposition at Press Corps Meeting
"Yellow Envelope Act Weakens Civil Law Compensation Claims Principle"
"250,000 Won Law Violates Separation of Powers and Raises Inflation Concerns"

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo confirmed his position that the ruling Democratic Party's forced passage of the so-called 'Yellow Envelope Act (Amendment to the Labor Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act)' and the '250,000 Won Support Act (Special Measures Act for the Payment of Livelihood Recovery Support Funds)' is unacceptable.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is speaking at a press briefing held on the 6th at the Government Seoul Office Annex in Jongno-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the afternoon of the 6th, Prime Minister Han met with the press corps at the Seoul Government Complex annex and said, "The Yellow Envelope Act was unilaterally passed by the opposition party with even stronger issues than the government's previous request for reconsideration," and "It is an unbalanced policy that sides only with certain occupational groups without considering the overall national economy." He added, "It is a bill that contradicts the Constitution and laws," and emphasized, "According to civil law principles, the person who suffers damages should claim compensation, but this bill could significantly weaken or eliminate that opportunity."

Prime Minister Han expressed concern, saying, "Considering the reality of our corporate organizations, the person who is actually employing should be the negotiating party (with the management)," and "If there is an intention to shake this, it will likely lead to an increase in illegal strikes." He continued, "The Yoon Seok-yeol administration protects vulnerable workers but has also made great efforts to establish the rule of law in the workplace," and stressed, "As a result, the number of lost workdays due to strikes has significantly decreased this year, and this positive trend and practice must never be disrupted."

He particularly pointed out, "I understand that some politicians refer to the Yellow Envelope Act as a 'pro-business law,'" and remarked, "If that were true, business groups and corporate organizations would not raise issues about the bill’s illegal aspects, constitutional violations, and inconsistencies with Supreme Court precedents."

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is speaking at a press briefing held on the 6th at the Government Seoul Office Annex in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Prime Minister Han also expressed a firm stance on the '250,000 Won Support Act.' He criticized, "According to the separation of powers in the Constitution, the state is responsible for budget formulation, and the National Assembly reviews and approves it," adding, "It is a violation of the separation of powers to enforce by law what the executive branch should do." He further expressed concern, "If 250,000 won is to be paid to all citizens, the scale would be close to 13 trillion won, and given the current revenue levels, borrowing would be necessary," and warned, "Borrowing domestically through government bonds could raise interest rates and increase inflation."

Based on the government's welfare policy, Prime Minister Han repeatedly pointed out problems with the '250,000 Won Support Act.' He explained, "The Yoon Seok-yeol administration has increased basic living allowances for recipients more in one year than the Moon Jae-in administration did in five years," and said, "This year, the allowance increased by 213,000 won compared to last year, whereas the Moon Jae-in administration increased it by 196,000 won over five years." He criticized, "This law does not align with the principles of social welfare policies that focus on protecting vulnerable groups and could cause economic inflation."