Kim Moon-soo: "Construction Job Difficulties Intensify... Overcoming Crisis Through Basic Plan"

Determined Implementation of the Basic Plan for Improving Employment of Construction Workers

Kim Moon-soo, Minister of Employment and Labor, stated on the 17th, "The contraction of the construction market is exacerbating job difficulties at construction sites," adding, "Structural problems such as youth employment avoidance, shortage of skilled workers, and increased risk of safety accidents are persisting, making it urgent to devise countermeasures."

Minister Kim made these remarks while attending an on-site meeting with labor and management representatives of the construction industry at the Specialized Construction Hall in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. The meeting was organized to discuss the implementation plan of the government's '5th Basic Plan for Improving Employment of Construction Workers,' announced last month to improve employment conditions for construction workers, and to hear voices from the construction sites.

Kim Moon-soo, Minister of Employment and Labor. Photo by Yonhap News

At the meeting, labor and management in the construction industry diagnosed the crisis situation faced by the construction sector and reaffirmed their determination to overcome difficulties. Participants discussed reasons why youth and women avoid construction jobs, countermeasures, wage arrears, and other unreasonable practices at construction sites, as well as improvement plans to enhance employment conditions for construction workers.

Minister Kim said, "To address the complex difficulties in construction jobs such as youth employment avoidance, shortage of skilled workers, aging workforce, and industrial accidents, we announced the 5th Basic Plan for Improving Employment of Construction Workers," adding, "We will provide tailored employment information so that youth and women can find jobs at construction sites, and systematically design and support career development paths according to life cycles."

He continued, "We will strengthen training and employment linkage through a skill grading system to help construction workers grow into skilled professionals, and improve social perception of the construction industry," adding, "To prevent wage arrears at construction sites, we will expand the electronic payment system to private construction projects and prepare measures to ensure that workers' wages are adequately reflected in construction costs."

Minister Kim emphasized, "To secure old-age income for daily construction workers, we will also promote measures to strengthen the guarantee of retirement reserves and convert them into pensions," adding, "To realize these goals, we will revise laws and secure funding to do our best to overcome the employment crisis in the construction industry."