Kim Younghun: "KRW 45 Billion for Employment Crisis Response to Be Spent in Q1"...Checks on Wage Arrears and Local Jobs Before Lunar New Year

"Expanded Senior Officials Meeting for Lunar New Year Preparedness" Held on the Morning of the 5th
KRW 45 Billion Crisis-Response Budget to Be Executed Within the First Quarter

With the Lunar New Year holiday approaching, Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Younghun has set the resolution of wage arrears and preemptive responses to regional employment crises as the top priorities for employment and labor administration. He called for immediate, on-site measures so that efforts go beyond legal and institutional improvements and lead to tangible results that people can actually feel.

At the "Expanded Senior Officials Meeting for Lunar New Year Preparedness" held at the Government Complex Sejong on the 5th, Minister Kim addressed the slump in key industries such as petrochemicals and steel, saying, "Last year alone, 73,000 jobs were lost in the manufacturing sector," and adding, "A downturn in regional key industries can lead to difficulties across the entire local economy, including for workers and small business owners." He went on to stress that "If we respond only after an employment crisis has occurred, it is too late," emphasizing the need to establish a system of constant monitoring and immediate support.

Regarding the fact that the preemptive employment crisis response designation for Yeosu in Jeollanam-do and Gwangsan-gu in Gwangju is set to expire on the 27th, he said, "We will actively consider extending the designation period, taking into account local industry and labor market conditions," and added, "We will swiftly execute the KRW 45 billion budget allocated for crisis response within the first quarter and use it to support the livelihoods of workers in crisis-hit industries and to help workers who change or leave jobs to settle into new positions." In addition, he presented a plan to prepare, within the first half of the year, a tentatively named "Regional Employment Vitalization Act" to establish a foundation for locally led employment responses.

Minister Kim said, "The upcoming Lunar New Year must be warmer than ever, and the people must be able to feel that 'my life has changed,'" emphasizing, "Amending laws alone does not change people’s lives, so we must produce on-the-ground results that translate the effects of the revised systems into concrete numbers and outcomes."

Kim Younghoon, Minister of Employment and Labor, is delivering remarks at the 'Youth Employment First Step Action Declaration Ceremony' held on Dec. 8 at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

On the issue of wage arrears, Minister Kim cited the results of on-site inspections and again ordered stronger responses. He said, "The number of workers suffering from wage arrears decreased last year for the first time in three years, and the clearance rate reached an all-time high of 90.2%," and instructed, "With the Lunar New Year approaching, please focus intensive guidance on vulnerable workplaces, such as businesses with large amounts of unpaid wages, under the leadership of the heads of local offices."

He also identified industrial accident prevention as a task directly linked to people’s livelihoods during the holiday season. Minister Kim said, "The risk of accidents increases with the rise in workloads before and after the holidays and during the process of resuming operations," adding, "We must remain vigilant about dangerous situations that may arise during the holidays and respond without any negligence." He called for active guidance and inspections of companies’ own safety checks and measures to prevent cold-related illnesses, and urged close, on-site management.

He further stressed the need to firmly establish in the field the livelihood-related labor bills that recently passed the National Assembly. Referring to measures such as the expansion of the scope of insolvency wage guarantee payments, the introduction of a short-term parental leave system, and the system for making accident investigation reports public, he ordered, "Please provide detailed guidance and implement the revised laws and systems swiftly so that the public can truly feel the changes." He then stated, regarding pending bills such as increasing the statutory penalties for wage arrears, introducing a wage-separation payment system, and imposing fines on workplaces with multiple or repeated industrial accidents, "We will actively support deliberations in the National Assembly."

Minister Kim said, "This meeting must not end as just a meeting but must immediately lead to on-site actions," and added, "Please deliver results so that all working people spending the Lunar New Year holiday can feel the changes at the Ministry of Employment and Labor."

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