Kim Young-hoon, the Minister of Employment and Labor, announced plans for intensified oversight of companies that have repeatedly experienced the same type of serious workplace accidents over the past decade. Starting in October, the legal penalties for employers who fail to pay wages will be increased to a maximum of five years, and a wage segregation payment system will be introduced in the construction and shipbuilding industries.
During a report to the National Assembly's Climate Energy Environment Labor Committee on August 12, Minister Kim stated, "There should be no recurrence of the same type of serious accidents at a single workplace," and emphasized the need for close management of companies with a history of repeated accidents.
He further noted, "From October, we will raise the legal penalties for wage arrears to a maximum of five years and implement a wage segregation payment system in the construction and shipbuilding sectors to prevent exploitation through subcontracting."
The Ministry of Labor will activate a special task force to prevent heat-related and suffocation accidents during the summer. Proactive measures, such as work stoppages based on heat levels, will be strengthened, ensuring that workers' rights to avoid danger and participate in safety and health prevention activities are effectively protected on-site.
In the first half of this year, the number of workplace fatalities due to industrial accidents decreased by 11.8% compared to the same period last year, marking the lowest level since statistics began being recorded. The Ministry plans to focus its supervisory efforts on preventing repeated accidents to maintain this downward trend.
Collaboration with local governments for labor inspections will also be expanded. Starting with Gyeonggi Province, the Ministry will work with 16 local governments to reduce blind spots in labor inspections and plans to establish a labor inspection training center to enhance the investigative capabilities of labor inspectors.
Support for vulnerable employment groups will be strengthened. The government will expand private employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in new industries for young people, and enhance employment and retention incentives for workers in local small and medium-sized enterprises.
The 'K-New Deal Academy,' led by large corporations, and public-private work experience programs will also be expanded. A new initiative, tentatively named 'Playground,' will provide continuous support for job seekers from training to employment.
For middle-aged workers, the obligation to provide re-employment support services will be gradually extended to workplaces with 300 or more employees, and the number of career development centers for middle-aged individuals will be increased to 12. Discussions will be held to promote a generational coexistence model for extending retirement age, considering both youth and middle-aged employment.
All 102 employment centers nationwide will be revamped into 'My AI Employment Centers.' A 'Lifetime AI Job Total Care' system will be established to support individuals throughout their life cycle, from first employment for youth to career transitions and re-employment for middle-aged workers.
Improvements to systems aimed at reducing blind spots in the labor market will also be pursued. A new 'K-Labor Welfare Chamber' will be established to provide necessary support for special employment and platform workers in one location, and social insurance will be transitioned to an income-based model. The 'Basic Labor Rights Act' and 'Worker Presumption System' are targeted for legislative discussion in the National Assembly by the end of the year.
The application of labor standards to businesses with fewer than five employees will be gradually expanded through social dialogue. Practices of repeatedly offering short-term contracts of less than one year or providing different treatment for the same work will be improved, and a roadmap to realize the principle of equal pay for equal work will be developed by the end of the year.
The Ministry will implement agreements aimed at reducing actual working hours and complete improvements to the retirement pension system by the end of the year.
Employment policies responding to industrial transitions, including AI, will also be pursued. The basic plan for employment stability during industrial transitions will be implemented, and basic vocational training will be expanded to ensure everyone can acquire AI skills. Guidelines for AI ethics in the labor sector will be established to ensure that AI does not exclude people from the workplace.
Minister Kim stated, "We will turn the crisis of the AI transition into an opportunity for great leap forward, ensuring that no one is left behind in the process."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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