President Yoon: "Labor Court Establishment Needed... Preparing to Submit Bill Within Term"

A 30s Wage Arrears Story, Yoon Says "Seen It Many Times"
Protecting Own Assets and Wage Arrears... "Anti-State Criminal"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is delivering opening remarks at the 25th "Public Livelihood Discussion" held on the 14th at the Seoul Employment Welfare Plus Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. The discussion was conducted under the theme "Thank You, Embracing the Workplace Together." [Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol announced on the 14th that he will strive to ensure that a bill related to the establishment of a labor court can be submitted during his term.

He strongly criticized unscrupulous employers who withhold workers' wages while managing their own assets, calling them "anti-state criminals."

During his closing remarks at the 25th "Public Livelihood Discussion" held at the Seoul Employment Welfare Plus Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, President Yoon explained, "Our society has reached a stage where the establishment of a labor court is necessary."

President Yoon said, "The labor court is not just about handling violations of labor laws or issues of whether a dismissal was fair or justified," adding, "A system needs to be created where civil damages caused by violations of labor laws can be addressed on a 'one-track' basis."

He continued, "Although current laws allow for simultaneous handling of criminal and civil damages, the establishment of a labor court that can comprehensively address wage arrears, workers' damages, and larger issues is now a stage we must actively consider," he emphasized.

President Yoon urged, "I hope the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Ministry of Justice will prepare the basics and consult with the judiciary so that a bill related to the establishment of a labor court can be submitted during my term. Please start preparing quickly from now."

This statement came in response to citizens suffering from wage arrears during the livelihood discussion that day.

A man in his 30s working in safety management at a small construction site said, "I was about to marry my girlfriend, but I experienced unexpected wage arrears and did not receive three months' wages and severance pay for just over a year," adding, "Even if I report to the Labor Office and the prosecution indicts, it ends with a fine. I do not receive the money. I have to get it through a civil trial."

He pointed out, "For example, if I were a habitual wage arrears employer, I could withhold 1 billion won in wages and pay less than 100 million won in fines, and the situation would be over," adding, "(The workers who suffered wage arrears) have to hire lawyers and go to civil court, but often the corporation no longer exists or the actual owner is not the corporate representative, so even if a final judgment is obtained, the money cannot be collected."

President Yoon said, "I have seen many such cases during my 26 years as a prosecutor," emphasizing, "There are cases where companies go bankrupt and cannot pay wages, but there are also cases where the company fails, yet the business owner goes abroad, plays golf, and lives well while only their company went bankrupt. These cases must be clearly distinguished."

He added, "If the owner puts everything into the business and becomes destitute, they may not be able to pay wages. (However,) if the company fails but the owner keeps their assets separately and does not properly pay workers' wages, that is not just antisocial behavior but should be called an anti-state crime."

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