Minister of Employment: "Labor Market is Serious... Swift Preparation of Additional Measures for Youth and Women"

Lee Jaegap, National Assembly Work Report... "All Policy Measures Fully Mobilized"

Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jae-gap attending the Environment and Labor Committee plenary session held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 16th, listening to members' inquiries. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Lee Jae-gap, Minister of Employment and Labor, said on the 16th, "Due to the impact of the third wave of COVID-19, an uncertain and severe situation requiring an emergency response in the labor market continues," adding, "We will mobilize all policy measures."

Minister Lee made these remarks during his greeting at the plenary meeting of the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee on the same day.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor stated in its 2020 major work report submitted to the Environment and Labor Committee that it will focus on five key principles this year: expanding job opportunities, strengthening the national employment safety net, nurturing core talents and supporting changes in working methods, protecting vulnerable workers, and establishing fair order in the labor market.

In particular, he mentioned that employment measures for youth and women will be prepared promptly.

Minister Lee said, "Due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, we will help youth and women, who have been severely affected by employment shocks, enter the labor market more quickly through customized training, and we will closely monitor the employment situation and swiftly prepare additional measures with related ministries."

He added, "We will support labor and management to maintain employment through comprehensive support for employment retention, and we will promptly implement tailored support measures in response to the third wave to timely assist vulnerable groups in urgent need."

Regarding the national employment safety net, he stated, "We will build it more firmly throughout this year and enhance the field's perception of it."

Minister Lee explained, "Within a month of implementing the National Employment Support System, 200,000 people, including low-income youth, applied. We will do our best to ensure they receive livelihood stabilization and vulnerable support services more quickly and continuously improve field difficulties."

The employment insurance for artists, implemented since December last year, focused this year on establishing the practice of written contracts and expanding initial subscribers through premium support.

Employment insurance for workers in special types of employment (Special Employment Workers, SEWs) will be implemented starting July. Regarding this, Minister Lee said, "We will prepare for the application of SEW employment insurance without any setbacks."

Regarding the 52-hour workweek system applied to workplaces with five or more employees starting this year, he said, "We will actively support resolving field difficulties so that the 52-hour workweek system settles in industrial sites, and we will proactively respond to changes in working methods such as non-face-to-face and flexible work arrangements."

They also decided to accelerate preparations for the Serious Accident Punishment Act (Serious Accident Act), which will be enforced from next year.

Minister Lee said, "We will create safe workplaces by reducing industrial accident fatalities and work with related ministries to ensure thorough implementation of the Serious Accident Act."

He emphasized, "Nothing is more important than the life of a worker. Ahead of the law's enforcement, we will comprehensively assist companies in establishing autonomous safety management systems."

He continued, "We will drastically reform the industrial accident prevention supervision system focusing on major causes of frequent fatal accidents such as falls at small construction sites."

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