"Allowing Regional Movement of Foreign Workers and Relaxing Height Standards for Cafe Partitions"

Han: "We Will Improve Unreasonable Regulations"
Measures to Ease Restrictions for SMEs and Small Business Owners

Han Duck-soo Acting President Yonhap News

Until now, to prevent the concentration of foreign workers in the Seoul metropolitan area, workplace changes were only allowed within the region where the initial employment permit was granted. However, going forward, inter-regional movement from the metropolitan area to non-metropolitan areas will be permitted. The height standards for upper and lower partitions (mezzanine structures) in cafes and bakeries will also be relaxed.

On the 10th, the government held a National Affairs Ministers' Meeting chaired by Acting Prime Minister Han Deok-su at the Government Seoul Office and announced the 'Regulatory Improvement Plan for Small and Medium Enterprises and Small Business Livelihoods,' focusing on these measures.

Acting Prime Minister Han said, "Due to recent changes in the global trade environment caused by U.S. tariff impositions and prolonged domestic demand stagnation, the difficulties faced by small and medium enterprises and small business owners, who are the backbone of regional economies, are increasing. The government will support the recovery of the livelihood economy by promoting tailored support in finance, taxation, and fiscal policy, while continuously improving various regulations that hinder autonomy and creativity."

First, allowing foreign workers to move between regions is expected to alleviate labor shortages in non-metropolitan areas. Previously, foreign workers could only change workplaces within the five regions where their initial employment permit was granted (Seoul metropolitan area, Gyeongnam region, Gyeongbuk and Gangwon region, Jeolla and Jeju region, Chungcheong region).

Additionally, the height standards for upper and lower partitions in cafes and other rest food establishments will be relaxed. Acting Prime Minister Han stated, "We will rationalize the height restrictions on mezzanine structures in cafes and bakeries. Previously, when converting to mezzanine spaces, the floor height of both upper and lower levels was limited to 1.7 meters or less. Going forward, we will improve this to allow more efficient use of mezzanine spaces, reducing rental burdens for small business owners and helping to increase sales."

The allowance for outdoor advertising on construction machinery (such as ready-mix concrete trucks, truck forklifts, and seven other types) for which liability insurance is mandatory for road operation will also be expanded.

It will become possible to apply Korean sticker labels on foreign language-labeled food products that could not be exported due to unavoidable reasons. Certified business sites participating in public procurement (such as HACCP, KS, and 12 other certifications) will be exempted from on-site inspections for direct production confirmation of small and medium enterprises, reducing their burden.

The government will expand public procurement channels for youth startup companies. When local governments contract with youth startup companies, the limit for negotiated contracts under the Local Contract Act will be raised from the existing 20 million KRW to 50 million KRW, actively supporting the initial growth of youth startups.

Acting Prime Minister Han said, "There are still many shortcomings in resolving the difficulties faced by small and medium enterprises and small business owners due to unreasonable regulations. I urge all ministries to continuously listen to voices from the field and promptly resolve inconveniences caused by various livelihood regulations, dedicating full efforts to the recovery of the livelihood economy."

Furthermore, the government will conduct intensive safety inspections over two months, from the 14th to June 13th, targeting more than 22,000 facilities nationwide that pose accident risks. Acting Prime Minister Han added, "Thorough and meticulous inspections will be conducted without blind spots on various facilities, including large construction sites prone to major accidents, aging infrastructure, fire-vulnerable facilities such as battery manufacturers and traditional markets, and multi-use facilities such as sports facilities and pensions."

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