Kwon Chil-seung: 'Legal blind spots for platform workers must be addressed'

Im Yi-ja: 'Policy for people's livelihoods must not stop even as political battles intensify'

Democratic Party of Korea Policy Committee Chair Kwon Chil-seung and People Power Party Policy Committee Chair Im Yi-ja speak at a forum on institutionalizing a platform safety net, held Thursday at the National Assembly Members' Office Building. [Yonhap]
Democratic Party of Korea Policy Committee Chair Kwon Chil-seung and People Power Party Policy Committee Chair Im Yi-ja speak at a forum on institutionalizing a platform safety net, held Thursday at the National Assembly Members' Office Building. [Yonhap]

The Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party came together Thursday to exchange views on institutionalizing a safety net for platform workers. Lawmakers from both parties said that despite the fierce political battles marking the ongoing national audit, they are committed to finding common ground on policies that affect people's daily lives.

The policy committees of both parties co-hosted the "Forum on Institutionalizing a Platform Safety Net, Built Together by the Ruling and Opposition Parties" at the National Assembly. Democratic Party Policy Committee Chair Kwon Chil-seung and People Power Party Policy Committee Chair Im Yi-ja attended, along with lawmakers from both parties serving on the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee.

Kwon called the gathering "a rare scene in the National Assembly," saying it confirmed that the two parties have no disagreement when it comes to people's livelihoods. "The national audit has barely wrapped up, yet the ruling and opposition policy committees are already meeting — this shows there is no divide between us on issues that matter to ordinary people," Kwon said.

Kwon said labor would be the first issue the two sides would tackle together. "The way people work is changing faster than ever," Kwon said. "New forms of employment — platform workers, freelancers, and those in special-type employment — keep growing, and existing laws and systems are not equipped to cover them."

"If we fail to reflect this changing reality, the pain of that gap will fall on working people — especially those in the blind spots," Kwon said. "Starting with today's forum, I hope we can close the legal blind spots facing platform workers and see the fruits of policy and legislation come as soon as possible."

Im echoed Kwon, saying that intensifying political conflict must not be allowed to halt policies that affect how people eat and live. "Livelihood policy cannot be held hostage to political battles," Im said.

"Those of us responsible for policy on both sides have a duty to keep political conflict and livelihood issues strictly separate," Im said. "Chair Kwon and I may differ politically, but we are here, putting our heads together, driven by a shared sense of responsibility that policy work for the people must go on without interruption."

Im described the backdrop to the forum, noting that the digital transformation had brought an explosion of new jobs unconstrained by time or place, but that the existing labor law framework had failed to keep pace. "Delivery riders, designated drivers, freelancers — countless platform workers have nowhere to turn when injured on the job, and when their income suddenly dries up, they feel as if they are being pushed to the edge of a cliff," Im said.

Im added that there was no room for ideology or competing interests when it came to establishing a basic social safety net.

"Bills from both parties to protect platform workers and vulnerable workers are already before the National Assembly," Im said. "The approaches and details may differ, but I believe the ultimate legislative goal — protecting working people who fall through the cracks — is the same."

The forum covered topics including an analysis of efforts to protect platform workers and legislative trends, the sustainability of labor law in a digital work environment, and legal challenges in protecting platform workers.


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