Jo Incheol: "Freelancers Will Also Receive Support for Unpaid Wages"

Representative Proposal of the "Wage Claim Guarantee Act Amendment"
"Addressing Legal Blind Spots for Workers Facing Livelihood Crises"

Jo Incheol, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

A legislative amendment is being promoted to allow specially employed workers to more easily receive unpaid wages. On July 28, Jo Incheol, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Gwangju Seo-gu Gap), announced that he had proposed the "Wage Claim Guarantee Act Amendment," which includes specially employed workers as beneficiaries of unpaid wage protection and allows them to receive emergency loans.

Under the current law, so-called specially employed workers such as delivery drivers, substitute drivers, and private tutors are classified as "self-employed" rather than employees because they work without separate employment contracts. As a result, even if they are clearly working in the labor market and become victims of wage theft, it has been difficult for them to receive help from the labor office. It is estimated that there are about 2.3 million such freelancers nationwide.

The amendment expands the scope of the current law to include labor providers as defined by the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act, thereby including specially employed workers, who have been left in a legal blind spot, as eligible for unpaid wage loans.

In addition, by introducing an emergency loan system, freelancers facing urgent livelihood crises will be able to receive immediate support. Under the current system, it takes six months to one year from loan application to payment, causing difficulties for workers in desperate situations.

If the amendment is implemented, workers in various forms of employment will be able to receive public protection for unpaid wages, and especially those facing livelihood crises will have an institutional foundation to receive timely support.

Jo emphasized, "Although job structures have changed due to digital transformation and the spread of non-standard labor, the system still remains in the past, making legal revisions urgent. It is only natural that workers receive fair compensation for their labor. I will continue to improve legislation that changes people's lives."