Minister of Employment Nominee Kim Younghoon: "Yellow Envelope Act Is a Necessary Path, Not a Matter of Choice"

"SPC Accident Requires a Comprehensive Approach for Fundamental Resolution"

Kim Younghoon, nominee for Minister of Employment and Labor, emphasized on June 25, 2025, that the Yellow Envelope Act, reduction of working hours, and extension of the retirement age are all necessary paths that must be taken.

Speaking to reporters as he arrived at the confirmation hearing preparation office in Jung-gu, Seoul that morning, Kim stated, "These policies are not a matter of choice."

He explained, "If the government does not establish a bargaining structure for the integration of the fragmented labor market, it is neglecting its duties," and added, "Our laws state that the government must support and promote various forms of bargaining between labor and management parties, and I believe this is one such method." The Yellow Envelope Act (amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act) primarily includes the expansion of the scope of industrial actions and the limitation of damage claims against striking workers.

Kim Younghoon, nominee for Minister of Employment and Labor, is answering questions from reporters as he enters the confirmation hearing preparation office set up at the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office in Jung-gu, Seoul on June 24, 2025. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Previously, on his first day reporting to work the day before, Kim also stressed that the Yellow Envelope Act, extension of the retirement age, and the 4.5-day workweek are "not optional, but necessary paths that must be taken." He further stated, "I will not push any system or policy solely based on what seems like an obvious justification. If something does not work, I will first examine why it does not," and added, "For important agendas, I will seek ways for labor, management, and the government to come together to find a shared path forward."

He also indicated that social dialogue would not be limited to the Economic, Social and Labor Council (ESLC), which is a presidential advisory body. He said, "There are various governance bodies for social dialogue, including the ESLC, the National Assembly, the Employment Policy Deliberation Committee of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. We need to activate these forms of dialogue," and added, "I want to look back on how routinely such dialogues were conducted under the previous administration."

Regarding the recent fatal accident involving a worker at the SPC Samlip Siwha plant, he stated, "Serious industrial accidents should be viewed not only as technical issues or human error, but also by comprehensively considering the various governance structures that dominate the industry." He added, "To fundamentally resolve the recurring accidents at SPC, we need to take an integrated approach to all these factors."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.