Gyeonggi Residents' Rights Committee Recommends Correction as Agencies Shift Medical Exam Costs to Job Seekers

The Gyeonggi Provincial Residents' Rights Committee has recommended corrective action to public institutions under the province that require job seekers to bear the cost of pre-appointment medical examinations.

According to an independent investigation by the Residents' Rights Committee, organizations such as the Gyeonggi Environmental Energy Agency, Gyeonggi Agricultural and Fisheries Promotion Agency, and Gyeonggi Social Service Agency were found to have required final candidates to submit medical examination certificates for employment, passing on all or part of the related costs to the job seekers.

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

However, Article 9 of the Act on Fairness in Hiring Procedures stipulates that employers must not require job seekers to bear any monetary costs other than the submission of application documents. In exceptional cases, approval from the Ministry of Employment and Labor is required.

In response, the Residents' Rights Committee determined that the results of medical examinations are an extension of the hiring review process, and concluded that requiring job seekers to bear these costs is contrary to the intent of the law.

Jang Jinsoo, Chairperson of the Residents' Rights Committee, stated, "Public institutions should take the lead in setting an example by reducing unnecessary financial burdens on job seekers, thereby creating a youth-friendly employment environment and ensuring the protection of substantive rights. We must clarify who is responsible for costs incurred during the hiring process, improve unreasonable practices, and enhance the fairness and credibility of the system."

In this regard, the relevant institutions have expressed their agreement on the need for system improvements and announced plans to revise their internal regulations so that the institutions themselves will bear the cost of medical examinations.

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