근로복지공단 announced plans to reduce the processing time for work-related illness compensation claims to within 120 days by the end of next year. The agency aims to enhance processing speed by expanding its dedicated organization for musculoskeletal disorders to include other conditions such as noise-induced hearing loss and occupational cancer.
Park Seung-hup, the head of the Labor Welfare Corporation, revealed this plan during a National Assembly audit of public institutions under the Ministry of Employment and Labor on October 23.
He explained that the increase in claims for work-related illnesses and the difficulty in confirming their work-relatedness have contributed to longer processing times. The agency is responding by establishing a dedicated team for musculoskeletal disorders, which account for 64% of all work-related illnesses, and standardizing procedures for frequently claimed occupations.
Park stated that these measures have resulted in a 64.3% increase in processing volume compared to the same month last year, with processing times reduced by 67.3 days. He emphasized, "We will ensure that we achieve the goal of processing claims within 120 days by the end of next year."
The agency will also strengthen support for workers' treatment and return to work after compensation. In addition to the existing 11 hospitals and four urban rehabilitation centers, the newly opened Ulsan Hospital will provide specialized treatment and rehabilitation services for industrial accident patients. Plans are in place to enhance the occupational disease diagnosis system and fulfill the role of public healthcare in the region.
Efforts are underway to expand the coverage of social insurance and retirement pensions. The agency is preparing for a reform of the income-based employment and industrial accident insurance application and assessment system, which will be implemented next year, linking it with income data from the National Tax Service. This aims to protect workers engaged in multiple jobs, as well as young and part-time workers, regardless of their employment type or hours worked.
The 'Blue Seed' retirement pension fund for small businesses plans to expand its eligibility to workplaces with fewer than 100 employees starting in January, following an earlier expansion to those with fewer than 50 employees in July. Park noted that there are currently 200,000 enrolled workers with a total fund of 1.9 trillion won, yielding an average annual return of around 8%.
On the same day, the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency and the Korea Industrial Human Resources Corporation emphasized the proactive management of high-risk tasks and the restoration of trust in national qualification exams.
Kim Hyun-jung, head of the Occupational Safety and Health Agency, pointed out that despite a decrease in fatal accidents, falls and entrapments continue to occur due to a lack of basic safety measures. He announced plans to focus support on small high-risk workplaces.
The agency is utilizing the 'Safe Workplace Guardian' program to gather information on hazardous tasks, such as roofing, and conduct site inspections in line with actual work schedules. Alongside financial support for small businesses, initiatives to prevent asphyxiation accidents in confined spaces and heat-related illnesses due to extreme temperatures are also being pursued. Plans are in place to enhance preventive systems using artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, as well as tailored training for foreign and elderly workers.
Lee Byung-hoon, head of the Korea Industrial Human Resources Corporation, stated that he will oversee the management of national qualification exams, which attract over 4.4 million candidates annually. He aims to identify and resolve issues throughout the application, testing, grading, and announcement processes to enhance the credibility of the exams.
The agency is also promoting initiatives to support the transition of businesses and workers to AI. It plans to provide AI capability assessments and tailored consulting to 140,000 companies and training programs in new technology fields for 2.11 million workers.
Protecting the rights of foreign workers and facilitating young people's overseas employment are also highlighted as key tasks. The agency aims to ensure that 350,000 foreign workers residing in the country can work safely and strengthen connections for young people who participate in overseas employment and internships to facilitate their re-employment upon returning home.
Park Seung-hup, the head of the Labor Welfare Corporation, revealed this plan during a National Assembly audit of public institutions under the Ministry of Employment and Labor on October 23.
He explained that the increase in claims for work-related illnesses and the difficulty in confirming their work-relatedness have contributed to longer processing times. The agency is responding by establishing a dedicated team for musculoskeletal disorders, which account for 64% of all work-related illnesses, and standardizing procedures for frequently claimed occupations.
Park stated that these measures have resulted in a 64.3% increase in processing volume compared to the same month last year, with processing times reduced by 67.3 days. He emphasized, "We will ensure that we achieve the goal of processing claims within 120 days by the end of next year."
The agency will also strengthen support for workers' treatment and return to work after compensation. In addition to the existing 11 hospitals and four urban rehabilitation centers, the newly opened Ulsan Hospital will provide specialized treatment and rehabilitation services for industrial accident patients. Plans are in place to enhance the occupational disease diagnosis system and fulfill the role of public healthcare in the region.
Efforts are underway to expand the coverage of social insurance and retirement pensions. The agency is preparing for a reform of the income-based employment and industrial accident insurance application and assessment system, which will be implemented next year, linking it with income data from the National Tax Service. This aims to protect workers engaged in multiple jobs, as well as young and part-time workers, regardless of their employment type or hours worked.
The 'Blue Seed' retirement pension fund for small businesses plans to expand its eligibility to workplaces with fewer than 100 employees starting in January, following an earlier expansion to those with fewer than 50 employees in July. Park noted that there are currently 200,000 enrolled workers with a total fund of 1.9 trillion won, yielding an average annual return of around 8%.
On the same day, the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency and the Korea Industrial Human Resources Corporation emphasized the proactive management of high-risk tasks and the restoration of trust in national qualification exams.
Kim Hyun-jung, head of the Occupational Safety and Health Agency, pointed out that despite a decrease in fatal accidents, falls and entrapments continue to occur due to a lack of basic safety measures. He announced plans to focus support on small high-risk workplaces.
The agency is utilizing the 'Safe Workplace Guardian' program to gather information on hazardous tasks, such as roofing, and conduct site inspections in line with actual work schedules. Alongside financial support for small businesses, initiatives to prevent asphyxiation accidents in confined spaces and heat-related illnesses due to extreme temperatures are also being pursued. Plans are in place to enhance preventive systems using artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, as well as tailored training for foreign and elderly workers.
Lee Byung-hoon, head of the Korea Industrial Human Resources Corporation, stated that he will oversee the management of national qualification exams, which attract over 4.4 million candidates annually. He aims to identify and resolve issues throughout the application, testing, grading, and announcement processes to enhance the credibility of the exams.
The agency is also promoting initiatives to support the transition of businesses and workers to AI. It plans to provide AI capability assessments and tailored consulting to 140,000 companies and training programs in new technology fields for 2.11 million workers.
Protecting the rights of foreign workers and facilitating young people's overseas employment are also highlighted as key tasks. The agency aims to ensure that 350,000 foreign workers residing in the country can work safely and strengthen connections for young people who participate in overseas employment and internships to facilitate their re-employment upon returning home.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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