Yellow Envelope Act Tightened by Opposition... People Power Party Calls It "Minnochoong Bulletproof Law"

Held a Press Conference with 6 Economic Organizations
President Yoon Calls the Strike and North Korea Nuclear Remarks an Extreme Situation
"The Forced Passage of the Yellow Envelope Act Must Be Stopped"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Eunju Lee, the floor leader of the Justice Party, attended and spoke at the "Justice Party Lawmakers' Relay Solo Protest to Urge the Enactment of the Yellow Envelope Act" press conference held on the 16th at the National Assembly Roden Hall. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporters Koo Chae-eun and Lee Hyun-joo] As the Cargo Solidarity general strike entered its 13th day on the 6th, the opposition parties?the Democratic Party of Korea and the Justice Party?joined forces with labor groups to launch a struggle against the government, continuing the confrontation line with the ruling party and government.

Park Hong-geun, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, directly criticized President Yoon Seok-yeol at the floor strategy meeting held that day, saying, "President Yoon compared the Cargo Solidarity strike to 'North Korea's nuclear threat,' driving the situation to an extreme." He added, "It is impossible to find a solution by dismissing it as a political strike," urging the relevant authorities to "immediately restart the negotiation table to resolve the situation." He proposed that discussions on the strike should be mediated at the level of floor leaders and policy committee chairs.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Justice Party held a ‘Declaration of 1,000 People’ urging the passage of the Yellow Envelope Act (amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union Act) on the same day, pressuring the People Power Party to "participate in the bill discussions." The Yellow Envelope Act was unilaterally submitted by the opposition to the Employment and Labor Subcommittee of the Environment and Labor Committee on the 30th of last month. Subsequently, at the full Environment and Labor Committee meeting held on the 1st of this month, Committee Chair Jeon Hae-cheol referenced the Supreme Court precedent on Ssangyong Motor to emphasize the legitimacy and validity of discussing the Yellow Envelope Act.

The Justice Party emphasized the necessity of passing the Yellow Envelope Act through a 9:30 a.m. party members’ meeting and a 10:40 a.m. press conference at the Communication Office, followed by a 11 a.m. press conference for the ‘Declaration of 1,000 Lawyers, Professors, and Researchers Nationwide Urging the Amendment of the Yellow Envelope Act.’ Justice Party floor leader Lee Eun-joo sharply criticized at the ‘Declaration of 1,000 People’ press conference, saying, “It has been a week since the Yellow Envelope Act was submitted to the bill subcommittee, but the ruling People Power Party is not at a compromise limit but has drawn a line of desperate opposition.”

Lee Jung-mi, leader of the Justice Party, along with lawmakers and party officials, are shouting slogans at the press conference for the Justice Party's sit-in protest to enact the "Yellow Envelope Act" on the steps in front of the National Assembly main building on the 30th. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

She said, “Return to the bill subcommittee meeting scheduled for tomorrow and participate in the discussion of the Yellow Envelope Act immediately.” She added, “The ruling party’s real opponent should be corporate irresponsibility and barbarism, not the opposition or labor,” warning strongly, “If this regular session of the National Assembly is also disrupted, it will be a clear indication that the People Power Party is the power of corporations, not the people.”

Lee said, “The Ministry of Employment and Labor, which attended the meeting, also refused dialogue, and eventually the ruling party leadership pulled out the presidential veto,” criticizing, “The government and ruling party’s attitude, which only throws rejection bombs at barbarism that not only nullifies the constitution but also annihilates humanity itself, is truly deplorable.” She pledged, “We will do our utmost to ensure the enactment of the Yellow Envelope Act and produce results in this regular session of the National Assembly.”

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the other hand, the People Power Party clearly opposed the bill, calling it the ‘Minnochoong bulletproof law.’ On the same day, People Power Party lawmaker Lee Joo-hwan held a press conference opposing the Yellow Envelope Act jointly with six economic organizations. The vice chairpersons of the Korea Employers Federation, Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Federation of Korean Industries, Korea International Trade Association, Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business, and Korea Federation of Medium-sized Enterprises voiced their opposition to the Yellow Envelope Act, calling it a "law that encourages illegal strikes" and demanding that the bill’s forced passage be stopped.

Lee said, "At the National Assembly public hearing attended by both ruling and opposition parties, it was clearly revealed how many problems this amendment has and that there is no national consensus." He added, "The People Power Party has sufficiently explained to the opposition that the problems of the amendment need to be thoroughly discussed and that opinions from various sectors and public opinion should be faithfully reflected," but "the opposition is trying to pass this bill unconditionally, reflecting only the claims of some laborers."

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