Governor Kim Dongyeon: "Proactive Measures for Industrial Site Safety and Workers' Safe Return Home"

Gyeonggi Province Holds 'Labor Inspection Authority Execution Strategy Review Meeting'
Establishing an Industrial Safety System Focused on Prevention Through Central-Local Government Cooperation

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dongyeon has strongly directed proactive measures, including the formation of a special task force, in preparation for the government's delegation of labor inspection authority.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Dongyeon Kim is presiding over the "Labor Inspection Authority Execution Strategy Review Meeting" at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government office on the 3rd. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

On the 3rd, Governor Kim held a 'Labor Inspection Authority Execution Strategy Review Meeting' at the provincial government office and stated, "There is talk of delegating labor inspection authority under the new government, which is a government based on national sovereignty. We will respond as proactively as possible to establish a foundation where industrial sites are safe and workers can return home safely after work."

He continued, "Since 2020, Gyeonggi Province has proactively operated the Labor Safety Keeper system, even without a legal basis. During the 7th popularly elected term under Governor Lee and the 8th term after my inauguration, we have consistently requested the delegation of labor inspection authority from the government," adding, "We plan to form and operate a task force. In the consultation process with the Ministry of Employment and Labor, let's actively participate by fully sharing our know-how and experience, such as the Labor Safety Keeper system, to help establish a nationwide policy framework."

He further emphasized, "Let's thoroughly prepare for the implementation stage by leveraging Gyeonggi Province's experience to ensure there are no setbacks in areas such as how to secure (labor inspection) personnel, how the central government will provide the necessary budget, and how these personnel can effectively establish themselves in the field with the required expertise, through sufficient consultation with the Ministry of Employment and Labor."

In August, the Ministry of Employment and Labor presented Gyeonggi Province with a plan to allocate labor inspection personnel to local governments starting next year. The scope of delegation covers the supervision of compliance with the Industrial Safety and Health Act and major labor laws at workplaces with fewer than 30 employees. However, cases involving wage arrears, the Act on the Protection, etc. of Dispatched Workers, collective labor relations laws, and the Serious Accidents Punishment Act are excluded. Specific details will be finalized through consultations with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Gyeonggi Province expressed agreement with the division of roles, in which the central government handles reported cases and tasks requiring a high level of expertise, while local governments are responsible for regular labor inspections and industrial safety prevention supervision.

The province decided to thoroughly prepare for future organization, personnel, and budget by forming a joint special task force led by the Second Vice Governor, which will include the Labor Bureau, Planning and Coordination Office, Autonomous Administration Bureau, and Safety Management Office.

Based on its experience monitoring industrial safety through the Labor Safety Keeper system, Gyeonggi Province plans to ensure a stable implementation of labor inspection authority as soon as a legal basis is established. In particular, the province will request the government to reflect standard personnel expenses, provide government-level budget support (personnel and operational expenses), and secure the expertise of labor inspectors (professional training, joint inspections), and will cooperate to ensure that substantive authority is delegated.

The meeting was attended by the First and Second Vice Governors, the Director of the Planning and Coordination Office, the Director of the Autonomous Administration Bureau, and the Director of the Labor Bureau. They reviewed the Ministry of Employment and Labor's plan and trends for delegating labor inspection authority, as well as Gyeonggi Province's response plan (organization, budget, personnel).

According to Statistics Korea, as of 2023, Gyeonggi Province had 26% (approximately 556,000) of the 2,124,000 businesses nationwide. For businesses with fewer than 30 employees, Gyeonggi Province accounted for 26% (about 535,000) out of 2,036,000 nationwide. Of the 136,796 industrial accident victims nationwide in 2023, 35,245 (26%) were in Gyeonggi Province.

Meanwhile, on August 14, Governor Kim visited a construction site in Uiwang City to prevent industrial accidents and proposed three measures to shed the label of "industrial accident republic": substantial guarantee of the 'right to stop work' under the Industrial Safety and Health Act, discussion of delegating 'labor inspection authority' to local governments, and granting Gyeonggi Province the authority to enforce follow-up actions by Labor Safety Keepers.

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