Former KCTU Member Kim Hyeong-dong of Ruling Party Strikes at His Base: "The Main Actor Who Destroyed the Tripartite Commission Channel"

[Interview with Kim Hyeongdong, People Power Party Lawmaker]
Ruling Party Labor Committee Chair & Labor Special Committee Secretary
First Ruling Party Representative to Propose 'Equal Pay for Equal Work Act'

Kim Hyung-dong, a member of the People Power Party, harshly criticized the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) for recently deciding to suspend its participation in the Economic, Social and Labor Council (ESLC), saying, "The ESLC was a good channel for the labor sector, but the KCTU is the entity that destroyed that channel."

In a recent interview with Asia Economy, Rep. Kim said, "The system was established, but they should first be criticized for not fulfilling their responsibilities."

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Rep. Kim, a labor expert from the KCTU, was appointed as the chairman of the People Power Party's Labor Committee on the 6th of this month. He also serves as the secretary of the Special Committee on Labor Reform, the first special committee formed by Floor Leader Yoon Jae-ok since his inauguration. Rep. Kim downplayed the significance by saying, " If the ESLC is like a school, the KCTU kept not showing up," adding, "What meaning does it have if a player who didn't even try hard says, 'I won't come from tomorrow'?"

He continued, "Since the first year of the Moon Jae-in administration, when the expansion of flexible working hours was decided, there has been no social agreement," and questioned, "If the National Assembly had not worked like this, shouldn't it be dissolved?" He emphasized, "The KCTU was given a role, but since it neither fulfilled that function nor participated, its absence just continues the situation, so nothing will change significantly."

Interview_Kim Hyung-dong, Member of the People Power Party. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

"'Equal Pay for Equal Work'... Can Narrow Social Gaps"

"Respect for labor value is the driving force for sustainable national development."

Rep. Kim identified the core of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's labor reform in one sentence. This phrase was written by President Yoon during his presidential campaign visit to the KCTU. On the desk in front of Rep. Kim's office in the National Assembly members' office building, this phrase by President Yoon is framed alongside the Taegeukgi (Korean national flag). The phrase was also included verbatim as the "reason for proposal" in the 'Equal Pay for Equal Work Act (Amendment to the Labor Standards Act)' that Rep. Kim introduced on the 31st of last month.

Rep. Kim said, "Currently, labor feels like a rather ungrateful child within the party. It seems to be an obstacle to raising approval ratings," adding, "Although labor issues may now seem like a negative factor for the general election, I will do my best to turn it into a 'filial child' or a key item that brings success. I am confident."

The Equal Pay for Equal Work Act prepared by Rep. Kim contains the principle that workers should receive equal pay for equal work regardless of their employment status or length of service. In other words, whether regular or non-regular, primary contractor or subcontractor, if they perform the same work, they should receive the same salary.

The bill includes provisions such as "An employer cannot justify discriminatory treatment of working conditions solely because the contents of the worker's employment contract differ (Article 6, Paragraph 2)" and "An employer must guarantee equal pay for equal value work among workers with different employment types within the same business (Article 6-2, Paragraph 1)." Rep. Kim explained, "This is a bill I have been preparing since I entered the National Assembly," adding, "It reflects what the two major trade unions want. It is almost a 'bill commissioned by the two major trade unions.'"

Rep. Kim believes that the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act can narrow social gaps and ultimately reduce social conflicts. As President Yoon wrote, "Respect for labor value" is necessary for "sustainable national development." He said, "For sustainability and future development, society's members must not be heterogeneous but homogeneous," adding, "Can a society where a boss who does less work than a new employee receives several times the salary function properly?" He further stated, "The best way to reduce social conflict is to apply fair standards, evaluate accordingly, and reduce gaps."

"Claims from Labor and Opposition... Can Be Settled by Agreement on Equal Work Standards"

As Rep. Kim explained, equal pay for equal work is a value also advocated by the labor sector and opposition parties. In the 21st National Assembly, Democratic Party Floor Leader Park Kwang-on and Rep. Kang Byung-won introduced a bill. Rep. Kim was the first from the People Power Party to introduce such a bill. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions expressed concerns that "workers' wages could be leveled down." In response, Rep. Kim said, "If workers fear wage reduction, employers are worried about wage burdens. Ultimately, the burden is shared, and sufficient discussion is needed," adding, "A compromise can be found through negotiation."

Setting the standards for equal work is also expected to be a contentious issue. Rep. Kim dismissed this by saying, "It is a difficult issue, but it cannot be avoided." He said, "We can hold public hearings and listen to expert opinions within the standing committee or subcommittee to agree on and establish the standards for equal work." He added, "The system should be designed to reduce social conflict elements, which may be a very difficult system like pension reform. However, solving these issues is the role of the National Assembly, and it should not be neglected just because it is difficult."

On the other hand, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions pointed out in a statement, "In a situation where the standards for equal value work are quite ambiguous, allowing employers to set these standards and only requiring them to listen to workers' representatives' opinions is problematic." This criticized the clause that "employers must listen to workers' representatives' opinions when setting the standards for equal value work." Rep. Kim said there is room for sufficient discussion on this part during the bill drafting process. He said, "There are opinions that this phrase should be strengthened into a form of agreement similar to collective bargaining, and I am listening carefully," adding, "It is not an absolutely unchangeable or immutable phrase."

Interview_Kim Hyung-dong, Member of the People Power Party. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

"Moon's Era Killed the Future... Yoon's Labor Reform is 'Respect for Labor Value' and 'Sustainability'"

Emphasizing the future and sustainability in labor reform, Rep. Kim contrasted this with the Moon Jae-in administration, which he described as "an era that killed the future." He said, "The most important thing is value inversion. Owning an apartment has become more prideful than having a job," adding, "This created an era of value inversion where young people feel self-disgust and believe there is no future." This contrasts with President Yoon's statement that "respect for labor value is the driving force for sustainable national development." Rep. Kim continued, "The Moon administration should have first addressed labor issues, such as inclusive wages and workplaces with fewer than five employees, but now labor issues have piled up," adding, "Yoon Seok-yeol's labor policy aims to correct this."

Rep. Kim said it is still too early to evaluate labor reform. He said, "Reform must be institutionalized," adding, "Labor reform must ultimately be passed by the National Assembly. The fruits of reform will come only if we win the general election."

When asked if there is something that "must be done" in the remaining year of the 21st National Assembly, Rep. Kim answered, "Reducing gaps." A map color-coded by regional population gaps was posted on one side of his office. He said, "The gap between the metropolitan area and provinces, between generations, and among workers must be reduced for South Korea to function," adding, "Even if we cannot completely eliminate the gaps, we must reduce the currently wide disparities as much as possible."

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