People Power Party to Prepare 'Oyoanna Act' Legislation... "Eradicate All Workplace Harassment"

Eliminating Blind Spots for Freelancers and Platform Workers
Punishment for Serious Workplace Harassment Even After a Single Incident
Additional Procedures for Employer Investigation Appeals and Labor Relations Commission Re-examination
Strengthening Institutional Support Through Enactment of the Youth Crisis Act

On the 7th, the People Power Party decided to prepare the enactment of a special law (the Oh Yoanna Act) to protect all workers in the workplace, including freelancers and platform workers, from workplace harassment, following the death of the late Oh Yoanna, an MBC weathercaster.

On the 7th, the People Power Party and the government held a party-government consultation meeting in the non-economic (education, social, cultural) sector at the National Assembly, where they reviewed the current status of the workplace harassment prohibition system and reached this consensus. Since the system was introduced in 2019, social interest and awareness have increased, but due to unreasonable working conditions and other factors, many regrettable incidents continue to occur, leading to agreement on the need for more fundamental measures, according to the People Power Party.

Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the party-government consultation meeting to review livelihood measures in the fields of education, society, and culture held at the National Assembly on February 7, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

After revelations of workplace harassment at MBC before Ms. Oh's death, the People Power Party has called for special labor inspections of MBC, hearings, and an ex officio investigation by Employment and Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo. Currently, MBC has begun its own investigation, and the Ministry of Employment and Labor has also started a preliminary investigation to verify the facts.

The party and government plan to include provisions in the Oh Yoanna Act that allow punishment for serious workplace harassment offenses even if they occur only once, and to add a re-examination procedure where victims dissatisfied with the results of harassment investigations conducted by employers can request a judgment from the Labor Relations Commission. Kim Sang-hoon, chairman of the People Power Party's Policy Committee, said, "We expect that the enactment of the Oh Yoanna Act will contribute to establishing a healthy workplace culture and minimizing conflicts within the workplace," and promised, "The People Power Party and the government will make every effort until all kinds of workplace harassment are eradicated."

On the same day, the party and government agreed to promote the establishment of a nationwide dedicated support system to solve youth crisis issues and to work together to secure related budgets. Earlier, in September 2023, the party and government announced five major youth welfare tasks to ensure that youth in crisis do not fall behind in competition and have a fair starting opportunity, pledging support for youth in crisis. Accordingly, since last year, the government has been implementing projects dedicated to supporting family care youth and isolated reclusive youth.

They also plan to clearly designate approximately 100,000 family care youth and up to 540,000 isolated reclusive youth nationwide as institutional support targets through rapid legislation. On the 3rd, the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee held the first subcommittee on bill review and merged and reviewed 10 related bills concerning youth crisis support, passing the "Act on Support for Crisis Children and Youth, including Family Care."