Minister Kim Younghun Proposes Establishment of K-Labor Chamber for Non-Union Workers

Kim Younghun, Minister of Employment and Labor, has officially proposed the establishment of the “K-Labor Chamber,” aimed at including atypical workers such as platform workers and freelancers who are outside the existing labor union framework. The plan is to lay the foundation for expanding the social safety net, which was originally designed based on traditional employment relationships, to cover “all working people.”

On July 13, at the National Fiscal Strategy Meeting presided over by President Lee Jaemyung at the Blue House, Minister Kim stated, “I propose the establishment of the ‘K-Labor Chamber’ as a representative body for the interests of a diverse range of working people who cannot even form unions,” adding, “This is the first step toward transforming the social safety net, which was created around traditional employment relationships, into a ‘social safety mat for all working people.’”

The Ministry of Employment and Labor plans to first enact the “Basic Rights Act for Working People,” which will guarantee the rights of all service providers, including platform workers and freelancers. Based on this, the ministry aims to launch the K-Labor Chamber as a self-help mutual aid institution that will carry out functions related to livelihood, welfare, and protection of rights and interests. In addition, the current “Framework Act on Workers’ Welfare” will be entirely revised into the “Framework Act on Labor Welfare,” so that it can support all types of service providers, going beyond the traditional concept of an employee.

Kim Younghoon, Minister of Employment and Labor, is delivering the opening remarks at the launch ceremony of the Shipbuilding Industry Tripartite Dialogue Committee held at the Press Center in Jung-gu on the 13th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The Labor Chamber is a system that President Lee first proposed during his tenure as Governor of Gyeonggi Province, as well as during his 2022 presidential campaign. However, during the meeting, President Lee expressed concerns to Minister Kim, asking, “Aren’t there differing opinions on the Labor Chamber?” and “It seems that it may be difficult to persuade the labor community.” In response, Minister Kim acknowledged, “It is true that there have been differing views, such as concerns that forming a Labor Chamber could actually lower union organization rates,” but added, “Now, we are seeing the emergence of various forms of atypical workers that cannot be explained by existing employment relationships, and it is difficult to organize these workers into traditional unions.” He further explained, “We are in a situation where labor is spreading widely among workers, such as freelancers, who do not have employers.”

Minister Kim pointed out that there are as many as 8.69 million individuals earning income from providing repeated personal services, and emphasized, “We need to shift to a social safety mat that is based not on the form of employment or the way people work, but on the very fact that people are working.” In response, President Lee asked, “I hope you will persuade and consult well.”

The Ministry of Employment and Labor also plans to expand the application of social insurance to atypical service providers. Specifically, it will gradually broaden the coverage of employment insurance and industrial accident insurance to 1.6 million individuals earning business income from personal services. The ministry will also support the enrollment of service providers in the Small Business Retirement Pension Fund, and introduce a tentatively named “Together Mutual Aid,” in which the government will also participate, to help these workers build up assets for retirement. In addition, the ministry plans to expand free legal aid for service providers, promote the use of leave, and introduce a childcare allowance.

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