Ministry of Employment and Labor Begins Restructuring... Possibility of Office Relocation as 'Industrial Safety' Workforce Expands [Gwan-ga in]

Expansion of ISH Headquarters Workforce and Organization
Possibility of Relocating from the Current Overcrowded Building
Transfer of Gender Equality Responsibilities to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Under Discussion
Final Decision to Be Made After Consultations with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety

As the organizational restructuring plans of the Lee Jaemyung administration become clearer, the Ministry of Employment and Labor is working with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and other related ministries to develop a blueprint in response. With the Industrial Safety and Health Headquarters (ISH Headquarters) set to be upgraded to a vice-ministerial level, there is talk of expanding its workforce as well as the possibility of relocating its offices. For the Division of Women's Employment Policy, some policy work related to gender equality is expected to be transferred to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. There are also expectations that related staff may be moved to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

On September 10, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that, following the release of the new government's organizational restructuring plan, it is working to elevate the ISH Headquarters to a vice-ministerial level. The ISH Headquarters is responsible for overseeing all industrial safety and health policies, as well as handling work related to industrial accidents, including serious industrial disasters. With the current administration placing greater emphasis on workplace safety management and the prevention of industrial accidents, the headquarters, which was previously at the director-general level, is being scaled up to the vice-ministerial level.

In this process, the Ministry of Employment and Labor will expand and reorganize the ISH Headquarters' workforce and its subordinate organizations. To strengthen its function of supervising accident prevention, the ministry is considering establishing a dedicated policy office and, in consultation with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, creating new divisions. Previously, since the launch of the new administration, the ISH Headquarters has strengthened surprise inspections of high-risk workplaces nationwide through the "Safe Workplace Project," supplementing its staff by receiving support or transfers from other departments.

A ministry official stated, "By significantly strengthening the organizational structure related to industrial safety and health, we will aggressively and rapidly push forward with initiatives such as cooperation with local governments, restructuring the industrial safety supervision system, and revising the legal framework. This is the most significant aspect of the current organizational reform." Another official noted, "The scope of work previously handled by the vice minister of the Ministry of Employment and Labor was too broad, so this restructuring is expected to help reduce that burden."

The extent to which the ISH Headquarters' workforce is expanded could determine whether its location changes. The ISH Headquarters currently operates out of a building on Sejong Court Road, which is about 4 kilometers away in a straight line from the Ministry of Employment and Labor building at the Government Complex Sejong (Hannuri-daero, Sejong City). A ministry official said, "Even now, it is difficult to accommodate all staff in the current ISH Headquarters building," adding, "Once the size of the additional workforce is determined, we will need to discuss any potential changes to the building separately with the building management office."

The Ministry of Employment and Labor is also working to transfer some of the responsibilities of the Division of Women's Employment Policy to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (currently the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family). The ministry has agreed in principle to retain "parental leave" but to transfer duties with a high relevance to gender equality, such as "affirmative employment improvement measures" and "group counseling at Women's New Work Centers," to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Further discussions with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will determine how the organizational structure and staffing of the ministries will be arranged after the transfer of responsibilities.

A ministry official said, "Since discussions on this adjustment have been ongoing since the National Policy Planning Committee, there are no major disagreements between the two ministries (the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family)," adding, "The post-restructuring arrangements will become clearer once discussions with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety are finalized." Another official stated, "Even if the name of the Division of Women's Employment Policy changes, the division itself will not disappear. However, there is a possibility that some staff will move to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family along with the transferred responsibilities."

Previously, on September 7, the Democratic Party of Korea, the government, and the presidential office finalized and announced the government organizational restructuring plan at a high-level party-government meeting. At a briefing that day, Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Hojoong said regarding the restructuring of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, "We will strengthen the overall coordination function of industrial safety and health by establishing an industrial safety and health system to enhance prevention and response to various industrial accidents." The party and government have stated that they plan to pass the amendment to the Government Organization Act at the National Assembly plenary session on September 25 and implement it immediately upon promulgation.