[Anchor]
The Mega-Special Zone Act, legislation designed to support the Jeonnam-Gwangju semiconductor cluster and other initiatives, has unusually been introduced as two separate bills. This is due to a special provision that creates an exception to the 52-hour workweek cap. Today (October 27), lawmakers in the National Assembly also concentrated their questioning on this issue directed at the labor minister.
Here is reporter Kim Hye-min.
[Reporter]
The main topic of the final parliamentary audit of the Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee was the issue of applying exceptions to the 52-hour workweek regulation within mega-special zones.
[Lee Jong-bae / People Power Party Lawmaker: "The government should formulate a single unified proposal and push forward with it, but because opinions differ, a unified stance is failing to emerge."]
On October 20, the ruling party introduced two bills: one containing a "labor exception" allowing research and development personnel within the special zones in the top 3% of earned income to negotiate working hours with employers, and another bill excluding this provision.
Voices of opposition immediately arose within the ruling party itself against the bill containing the special exception.
[Lee Yong-woo / Democratic Party Lawmaker: "Are high-income professionals and managers not human? Allowing unlimited labor applies equally to any human being, to any worker...."]
Some also pointed out that creating an exception to the 52-hour workweek itself is a regression in labor rights.
[Seo Wang-jin / Rebuilding Korea Party Lawmaker: "Do you know who said, 'The government must abandon its anachronistic, anti-labor economic worldview'? It was what the President said as party leader back in 2023 when the Yoon Suk Yeol administration pushed for a 69-hour workweek...."]
Earlier, after President Lee Jae-myung asked for discussions on whether a solution could be found by simplifying procedures under the existing system, speculation arose within the ruling camp that revising the enforcement decree rather than enacting legislation was being considered. The People Power Party pointed out that this was also problematic.
[Lee Jong-bae / People Power Party Lawmaker: "Aren't you just trying to wrap it up with a makeshift patch through an enforcement decree?"]
Employment and Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon maintained a cautious stance throughout the audit.
[Kim Young-hoon / Minister of Employment and Labor: "Because social dialogue is underway...."]
Amid growing controversy, a Blue House official stated that this is not something that can be handled so lightly via an enforcement decree, adding, "As social dialogue is currently underway, we will watch the outcome."
This is interpreted to mean that the ruling camp is deeply agonizing between labor and business circles.
(Video by Shin Dong-hwan | Video Editing by Yoo Mi-ra)
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