'Livelihood Threat' USFK Korean Workers to Receive 'Advance Wage Payment' Policy... Notified to US Side

Unpaid Leave on Day 26... Government to Advance 70% of Previous Wages Applying Labor Standards Act
National Assembly to Receive Government Proposal This Week for Full Discussion of 'Special Act' Including Recurrence Prevention Measures

Yoon Sang-hyun, Chairman of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, and opposition party members of the committee held a meeting on the 22nd in the committee chairman's office regarding rumors about the health of North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un and the special agreement on the South Korea-U.S. defense cost-sharing. The meeting was attended by Yoo Dae-jong, Director General of Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Lee Sang-min, Director General of Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of Unification, among others.
Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] It has been reported that the government and the ruling and opposition parties have notified the U.S. side of related matters, including the priority payment of living expenses, regarding the livelihood support system for Korean workers employed by the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) that they are promoting. Approximately 4,000 Korean workers of the USFK, accounting for half of the total, have been on unpaid leave for the 26th consecutive day.

The government and the ruling and opposition parties have judged that the unpaid leave period for Korean workers of the USFK will be prolonged due to the deadlock in negotiations caused by U.S. President Donald Trump’s rejection of the provisional agreement reached by the Korea-U.S. negotiation team. Accordingly, they plan to enact a special law within the 20th National Assembly that includes provisions such as 'government priority support' and 'prevention of recurrence.'

According to related ministries on the 26th, the government has reportedly conveyed to the U.S. side a plan to first provide wage support at about 70% of the existing salary for the approximately 4,000 Korean workers of the USFK who are currently under forced unpaid leave, based on the special law to be enacted.

The government plans to deduct the amount of wages paid in advance from the defense cost-sharing funds that Korea is to bear after the prolonged defense cost-sharing negotiations conclude. This means applying the current Labor Standards Act, under which if an employer pays 70% of the average wage to employees, the government compensates part of the cost as employment retention support funds. Although the government has communicated the advance payment policy to the U.S. side, it is reported that the U.S. has not yet expressed any refusal.

In principle, Korean workers of the USFK cannot receive government support for unpaid leave under current laws. This is because the employer is the U.S. President, and Korean labor laws do not apply under the Korea-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). The longer the defense cost-sharing negotiations remain deadlocked and the negotiation gap prolongs, the more severe the situation becomes structurally.

Discussions on enacting a 'special law' to support the livelihood of Korean workers are expected to intensify in the National Assembly starting this week. Following Rep. Ahn Kyu-baek of the Democratic Party of Korea, chairman of the National Defense Committee, who introduced the "Special Act for the Support of the Livelihood Stability of Korean Workers Employed by the USFK," Rep. Kim Sung-won of the United Future Party also introduced a special law including provisions for prevention of recurrence and support for Korean workers of the USFK. Rep. Ahn plans to further specify the bill by adding provisions for expedited processing.

Rep. Ahn Kyu-baek explained, "Amid delays in negotiations for the conclusion of the 11th Special Measures Agreement on Defense Cost-Sharing, the U.S. government's unpaid leave measure for Korean workers of the USFK has placed their status and livelihood in an unstable situation. Therefore, by prepaying the labor cost portion of Korea’s contribution or directly providing support funds, we aim to stabilize the livelihood of Korean workers of the USFK and further strengthen the Korea-U.S. alliance."

Rep. Kim Sung-won also emphasized the need to establish institutional measures to support Korean workers who are driven into a desperate situation where even basic livelihood is difficult and to guarantee employment stability. The special law he proposed includes provisions such as △government bearing the cost of livelihood stabilization allowances for unpaid leave Korean workers of the USFK △priority payment of wages if Korea-U.S. negotiations are delayed again (prevention of recurrence) △establishment of a USFK Korean Workers Support Committee under the Prime Minister △establishment of a USFK Korean Workers Support Working Committee under the Minister of National Defense.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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