Pardons for Yoon Mihyang and Cho Kuk, Criticism of the Yellow Envelope Act
"Only Catering to Their Own Faction"
"Ruling with Only Half the Nation in Mind... A Shortcut to Failure"
Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon criticized the Liberation Day special pardons by the Lee Jaemyung administration and the Yellow Envelope Act, stating, "The ruling bloc is blatantly engaging in postpaid politics, handing out gifts one by one to the groups that supported them."
On August 22, Mayor Oh made these remarks in a Facebook post titled "A Shortcut to a Failing Government."
Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon is giving a greeting at the business agreement ceremony with Taebaek City to reduce educational disparity, held on July 28, 2025, at the Seoul City Hall video conference room in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun
Mayor Oh said, "The ruling bloc's 'payback to their base' series is becoming increasingly outrageous," adding, "By pardoning Yoon Mihyang, they mock the 80th anniversary of Liberation; by pardoning Cho Kuk, they ridicule the judiciary; and now, with the Yellow Envelope Act, they are offering up the younger generation as scapegoats."
He particularly assessed, "This decision reflects the mindset of 'repaying the debt heavily to the group that made me president.'" He continued, "While they claim to be 'president for all' in words, in reality, they only cater to their own faction, which is deeply disappointing. If the ruling bloc governs with only half the nation in mind and becomes mired in populist pursuits, that is the surest path to a failed administration."
The previous day, during a discussion at City Hall with James Robinson, Nobel Prize-winning economist and professor at the University of Chicago, Mayor Oh also strongly criticized the Yellow Envelope Act.
The Yellow Envelope Act, referring to the amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union Act, expands the definition of "employer" to include those who can substantially control or determine working conditions. It also grants subcontracted workers the right to negotiate with the principal employer and restricts companies from seeking damages from striking workers. While the Democratic Party of Korea has announced plans to introduce and pass the Yellow Envelope Act on August 23, the business community is fiercely opposing it, citing concerns over infringement of management rights and a potential increase in lawsuits for breach of trust.
At the event, Mayor Oh stated, "The core of the Yellow Envelope Act is to exempt illegal strikers from lawsuits for damages," adding, "Although it is packaged to look like an advanced system, it is clear that it will only make it harder for young people to find jobs." He continued, "If we had flexible employment with easy dismissal like in the United States, it might be compatible, but in Korea, dismissals are rigid. If illegal strikes become rampant on top of that, everyone knows that corporate competitiveness will sharply decline. Will young people really accept this?"
Mayor Oh concluded, "Introducing policies that undermine future competitiveness after taking office and disguising them as good intentions is a shortcut to a failed administration," and stressed, "The public must prevent populism that destroys the order of the free market economy under any circumstances."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
