Delivery Box Handles, Startup Leave of Absence, Registered Mail Fees Exemption... Interest in the 'Sohwak Act'

Over 7kg: Secure Attachment of Handles or Hooks through Legislation

On the morning of the 23rd, a postal worker is loading a parcel box with a hole handle onto a delivery vehicle at the Seoul Central Post Office departure area in Jung-gu, Seoul. The hole handle on the parcel box was created for ease of transport. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] Although they may seem minor, several bills expected to provide significant practical benefits in daily life have attracted attention. These include measures such as drilling holes in delivery boxes to make them easier to carry and recognizing university students working at startup companies as valid reasons for taking a leave of absence. At first glance, there seems to be no reason not to promote these bills, but voices opposing each bill for various reasons have emerged, highlighting the need for careful legislative adjustments.

◆A clever way to prevent delivery workers' death from overwork? Or does it increase risks? = According to the National Assembly on the 24th, the recently proposed amendment to the Industrial Safety and Health Act by Kang Ki-yoon, a member of the People Power Party, includes provisions requiring delivery businesses to support the use of auxiliary tools such as handles or hooks when lifting items weighing more than 7 kg. The purpose is to prevent overwork-related deaths by protecting workers exposed to long hours of work amid a surge in delivery volumes. The amendment also includes provisions for adjusting working hours and guaranteeing rest periods based on the weight of the items handled and the transportation distance.

The demand to create handles by making holes in delivery boxes has been a persistent request from labor groups. The Democratic Party’s ‘So-hwak-haeng (Small but Certain Happiness) Special Committee,’ launched in November last year, promoted this as a key task, leading the Korea Post to introduce it first. At the end of last year, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that major delivery companies installed handles on 670,000 boxes and online retailers on 475,000 boxes in 2021. Kang’s bill aims to apply this requirement to the entire delivery industry through legislation.

Some argue that holes in boxes could allow insects, dust, or other foreign substances to enter, or that the weight capacity of the boxes might change, raising safety concerns. In response, the Ministry of Employment and Labor has provided guidance in the ‘Box Handle Guide,’ stating, "If installing handles could cause serious damage to quality or injury to handlers, handles should not be installed; instead, boxes should be designed for low weight or auxiliary tools should be used."

◆Public interest legislation such as extension of installment withdrawal period and exemption of registration viewing fees draws attention = ‘Startup leave’ was proposed by Han Moo-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, through an amendment to the Higher Education Act. It includes not only startup founders but also those working at startup companies. Han said, "The startup leave system currently applies only to founders, so leave is not recognized for employees or shareholders, which needs improvement."

Democratic Party member Cho Eung-chun proposed an amendment to the Real Estate Registration Act to exempt fees for viewing registration records electronically via the internet or other electronic means. Currently, a fee of 700 won is charged for electronic viewing at the Supreme Court registry office. Cho argued, "Charging fees for electronic viewing of simple registration information contradicts the purpose and content of the Public Information Disclosure Act, which aims to guarantee the public’s right to know."

Meanwhile, Democratic Party member Hong Jeong-min introduced an amendment to the Resident Registration Act to strengthen the protection of personal information and privacy by requiring only the minimum necessary information when requesting resident registration certificates or extracts, explaining the purpose of use, and actively utilizing provisions that allow specifying inclusion by item. This aims to protect sensitive information such as adoption, divorce, or remarriage status.

Additionally, independent lawmaker Kim Hong-geol proposed an amendment to the Installment Transactions Act to extend the withdrawal period for installment contracts from the current 7 days after receiving the contract to 30 days. Kim explained, "Most goods purchased through installment contracts are high-priced, and consumers may buy products without accurate information. The point at which consumers realize the product is an incomplete sale is after signing the contract and receiving the installment bill, raising questions about the effectiveness of the current withdrawal period."

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