Jeong Won-oh, the Democratic Party candidate for Seoul mayor, said April 30 he would expand Seoul-style flexible work arrangements and introduce a Seoul-funded paid sick leave program for freelancers and other vulnerable workers.
Speaking outside the Jeon Tae-il Memorial Hall along Cheonggyecheon in central Seoul, Jeong said that if Seoul runs on labor, the city government should also share responsibility for the time of working residents.
Under the slogan, "Rebuilding a worker-respecting special city, Seoul, with the voices of working citizens," Jeong said his labor platform focuses on work-life balance and ensuring the right to rest when sick.
To pursue his goal of a "30-minute commute city," Jeong pledged to broaden flexible work options, including telework, remote work and staggered hours. He also said the city would build a dense network of "public and shared offices near home" by using idle spaces such as subway stations. Companies that adopt flexible work would receive incentives and get extra points when participating in Seoul city bids and projects.
Jeong also pledged a paid sick leave program for freelancers, the self-employed, platform workers and day laborers, expanding a pilot program previously launched in Jongno district across the city. "Resting when you're sick is not a privilege, it's common sense," he said, adding that Seoul would serve as a safety net for residents in blind spots of workers' compensation insurance and paid leave.
He said the city would create new "Seoul-style worker protection standards" so workers do not lose jobs as artificial intelligence, robots and automation spread. He also pledged to set up a framework for "just transition" discussions to protect workers expected to be harmed by the climate crisis.
Before the announcement, Jeong visited the Sinjeong rail depot and the Yangcheon public bus garage early April 30 to meet workers, and later laid flowers at a Jeon Tae-il statue on Jeon Tae-il Bridge over Cheonggyecheon. Referring to the schedule, he said May 1 would be the first day to mark the holiday under the name "Labor Day" after 63 years, and vowed to carry the voices he heard at worksites and Jeon's vision into Seoul city policy.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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