SEOUL (UCAN): Catholic officials in South Korea called on the country’s government to ensure all workers are adequately protected and fairly treated under a recently amended labour law that signals a major shift in the nation’s labor policy.
Father Alexander Lee Young-hoon, secretary of the Labour Affairs office of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, welcomed the reforms, which labor groups have advocated for decades.
“Nothing is more important than the happiness, well-being, and protection of the lives of workers and their families, so it is natural for the Church to stand on the side of workers,” Lee said.
He noted that the absence of fair labor protections has left millions of Koreans vulnerable, citing a “deeply ingrained corporate culture” that allows workers to be laid off in the name of “cost reduction” and “efficiency.”
Many workers also lack legal rights to strike for legitimate demands without risking their jobs.
Calling the issue “a chronic problem in Korean society,” Lee said distorted social perceptions have contributed to the problem.
Nothing is more important than the happiness, well-being, and protection of the lives of workers and their families, so it is natural for the Church to stand on the side of workers,
Father Alexander Lee
“The Church, too, sometimes misinterprets solidarity with labour as a political issue or casts a negative light on organizations like labor unions,” he added.
South Korea’s parliament passed the amended Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act, popularly known as the Yellow Envelope bill, on August 24.
Labour advocates and trade unions have hailed it as a landmark victory after nearly two decades of advocacy. The law will take effect in March 2026 following a six-month grace period.
The legislation recognises workers’ constitutional rights to organise, bargain collectively, and engage in a labour strike. According to labour experts, it aims not only to strengthen unions in large firms but also to address protections for workers in Korea’s segmented labour market.
“This law is not mainly about empowering workers in large firms who already enjoy strong protections,” Lee Byoung-hoon, professor emeritus of sociology at Chung-Ang University, told The Korean Herald.
Workers in the secondary labour market, including women and contract-based employees, have faced low pay, weak representation, arbitrary dismissals, and minimal legal protection.
Many can be dismissed at will, often without formal layoff procedures
Lee Byoung-hoon
“Many can be dismissed at will, often without formal layoff procedures,” Lee said. “The Yellow Envelope bill is designed to protect these groups by ensuring they can demand negotiations with the entities that actually control their working conditions.”
The bill has its roots in the 1990s, when the administration of general-turned-president, Roh Tae-woo, allowed companies to sue striking workers, often with excessive damage claims.
Between 2009 and 2020, corporations and state institutions filed 151 damage suits against unions, totaling 275.2 billion won [approximately US$198.3 million], according to The Korean Herald.
John Park Young-ki, attorney and member of the Seoul Archdiocese Labor Ministry Committee, said the revised labour law also calls on the Church to update its own labor policies.
“When the Church speaks out on labor and social issues, many believers perceive it as a political stance,” he said.
“The path of a Church that stands with the poor and the vulnerable, as Pope Francis has said, is not to follow secular logic, but to show concern for the vulnerable.”
This report is a translated and adapted version of a report published by Catholic Times of Korea on October 15.
