"No Resident Abuse or Job Insecurity" ... Seoul City Launches 'Comprehensive Support Measures for Security Workers'

In Complexes with Employment Succession Regulations in Management Rules, Incentives Such as Subsidies
Support for Establishing 'Security Workers Mutual Aid Association' with Mutual Assistance Character

Last month, a security guard at an apartment in Ui-dong, Sangbuk-gu, Seoul, took his own life, claiming he was "unfairly treated." A memorial altar honoring the security guard has been set up at the apartment. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government is expanding city-level intervention by encouraging apartment management regulations to include employment succession provisions to prevent residents' abusive behavior toward security workers. The city will also support the establishment of a mutual aid-type mutual aid association so that security workers can have a certain safety net even in crisis situations such as unemployment and illness.

On the 24th, Seoul announced the "Comprehensive Measures for Employment Stability and Rights Protection of Apartment Security Workers," which includes these contents.

First, to ensure the employment stability of security workers, the city will select model complexes that have employment succession and maintenance provisions in their "Apartment Management Regulations" or have no toxic clauses causing employment insecurity, and provide incentives such as subsidies. In addition, the city plans to implement the "Consideration and Coexistence Excellent Apartment Complex Certification System," selecting and certifying 20 complexes annually that lead improvements in security workers' labor environment, respect for human rights, and welfare enhancement.

The "Seoul City Standard Apartment Management Regulations" newly stipulate prohibitions against unfair work orders, verbal abuse, physical assault, and other harassment toward security workers. The standard regulations serve as a standard model to be reflected when individual apartment complexes establish their "Management Regulations" and are considered the constitution of apartment management.

Along with this, the city will support the establishment of an "Apartment Security Workers Mutual Aid Association" centered on self-help organizations so that apartment security workers can protect their rights independently. This is to provide side support for security workers to prepare mutual aid-type livelihood stabilization measures and have defensive rights against rights violations.

Currently, since the majority of security workers are indirectly employed through service companies and work at different workplaces, it has been difficult to establish a mutual aid association. The city expects that forming such an organization will help secure a social safety net by maintaining fair contracts and enhancing defensive rights against rights violations.

To minimize conflicts and disputes, the city will also undertake systematic conflict mediation. A dedicated "Apartment Security Workers Rights Remedy Reporting Center (phone 070-4610-2806, 02-376-0001)" will be established within the "Seoul Labor Rights Center" to provide comprehensive free support from conflict mediation to legal remedies and psychological counseling.

Security workers suffering from mental damage such as stress caused by continuous abusive behavior from residents and anxiety about possible dismissal can also receive one-on-one counseling from professional psychological counselors at the "Seoul Emotional Labor Workers Rights Protection Center."

The city will newly enact the "Seoul City Security Workers Protection Ordinance," which includes activating employment succession complexes and establishing mutual aid associations, and revise the "Seoul City Apartment Management Ordinance" to strengthen related provisions. The city will also propose to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport the introduction of penalty provisions under the "Apartment Management Act" that allow fines for abusive behavior such as unfair work orders toward security workers.

Furthermore, to correct the mistaken perceptions and practices of some residents who view security workers as "Eul (the weaker party)" and take non-work-related labor for granted, labor rights education will be strengthened through the "Apartment Management Resident School," which is operated for building representatives and management office managers.

Park Won-soon, Mayor of Seoul, said, "With 7 out of 10 Seoul citizens living in apartments, the poor working conditions of security workers are not just an issue for a few but a problem that the entire society must solve together. We ask citizens to actively participate and support in establishing multiple institutional measures to thoroughly protect the human rights of security workers and block deviant behaviors by some residents."

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