Lee Jae-myung Strengthens Support for 'Noran Bongtu Law' "Will Achieve Visible Results Quickly"

Meeting with Labor Groups Emphasizes Need to Amend Articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union Act
Opposition: "The Representative Has the Will to Pass It"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, has lent support to the labor sector's demand for the enactment of the so-called 'Yellow Envelope Act.'

On the 28th, Lee held a meeting with the 'Movement Headquarters for the Amendment of Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union Act' at the National Assembly, stating, "The harsh damages and provisional seizures that claim enormous amounts of compensation?so large that even descendants for generations could not repay?and that freeze all assets, trapping workers in this burden until death, are effectively nullifying workers' three labor rights." He added, "The call to resolve this issue has been loud and long-standing, yet it remains unresolved and continues to be a pending task."

He continued, "Although the Democratic Party is pushing forward with strong determination on this issue, opposing arguments are very intense, and recently, so-called framing has emerged, suggesting that this law would guarantee violence and illegal strikes, which has led to many misunderstandings among our citizens regarding this bill."

He said, "It would be good to consider how to legislate this effectively to guarantee the increasingly important labor rights, especially the right to collective action, in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution, and to come up with practical measures. We will discuss possible methods together and strive to achieve visible results in a short time."

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), which has been on a general strike for five days, is demanding the enactment of the Yellow Envelope Act. This refers to the proposed amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union Act that limit claims for damages and provisional seizures against striking workers. Regarding this, Lee emphasized on Facebook the previous day, "Bills related to the amendment of Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union Act have been introduced in the National Assembly," adding, "We will seek social consensus to practically guarantee the basic rights of workers as stipulated by the Constitution. The government and ruling party should not simply oppose but join in creating reasonable alternatives."

In response, Park Seok-woon, co-representative of the Movement Headquarters for the Amendment of Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union Act, urged Lee, "As the Democratic Party holds the majority seats in the National Assembly, please promote this as the party's official stance and ensure its passage by the end of this year at the latest." He added, "The Democratic Party has included this in the 22nd National Assembly's livelihood legislative agenda and selected it as one of the seven key priorities. Despite various difficulties, we expect the Democratic Party to demonstrate the will and effort to pass the amendment bill."

Regarding the party's legislative plan, spokesperson Hwang Myeong-seon emphasized in a back briefing, "The party leader has the will to see it passed." She added, "There are many steps to go through, such as the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee and the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. We will unify the party's channels and continuously work together to develop this."

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