Democratic Party to file two special zone bills, one with 52-hour exemption, one without

Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do said on Oct. 20 that the party is filing the ultra-wide-area special zone bill (초광역특구법). Speaking at a meeting on the parliamentary audit, he said the party will submit two bills, one including the special labor provisions and one without them. He said the party will not fix a date for passage and will go through sufficient deliberation and debate. Han said the final text would be prepared through a merged review after hearing a wide range of voices, and that the party will actively consider setting up a special committee in the National Assembly because the tasks span several ministries and standing committees. [ 7 , 9 ]

The bill was earlier known as the mega special zone act (메가특구법). It would bundle several local governments into one regional economic zone, create large special zones, and offer shorter permitting, power and water supply, transport links and tax support, and, according to Kyunghyang Shinmun and Seoul Economic Daily, fiscal and financial support. Park Sang-hyuk (박상혁), the ruling party's senior member on the Political Affairs Committee, is lead sponsor. A party official quoted by Kyunghyang Shinmun said the new name took into account that the old one could look as if the Seoul capital region were excluded and the bill meant for one region only. A party official quoted by Seoul Economic Daily said a name was needed that covers several regions and projects. Both papers read the change as a response to criticism of favoritism towards the Honam region after the government announced support for three mega projects, including a chip cluster in the southwest valued at 800 trillion won. [ 1 , 2 , 5 , 7 ]

The main dispute is over labor provisions. Kyunghyang Shinmun and Seoul Economic Daily described a white-collar exemption that would remove high-income professionals and R&D staff meeting certain conditions from the 52-hour weekly legal limit and from overtime premium pay. Other measures discussed include extending the maximum use of fixed-term workers from two years to four, widening selective working hours and allowing more types of dispatch work. Korea Economic Daily wrote that management says high-tech industries need flexible staffing, while labor groups oppose the changes over fears of longer hours and more irregular work. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]

Reports on Oct. 19 differed. Korea Economic Daily said the party would first legislate zone creation and investment support and pursue the labor provisions separately, though some less contested ones might go into the main bill. Kyunghyang Shinmun and Seoul Economic Daily said the 52-hour exemption was likely to be included, and that Choi Ki-sang (최기상), the ruling party's senior member on the Environment and Labor Committee, was expected to file a separate bill without the working-hours provision. Seoul Shinmun said an official in Park's office described the content as still being finalized. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]

Talks involving labor, management and the government are under way. Korea Economic Daily wrote that Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon (김영훈) proposed separate consultations and that a working-level body including the two union federations and business representatives began meeting, with a fifth meeting scheduled for Oct. 20. An official of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions was quoted saying the sides' views were too far apart for progress. Kyunghyang Shinmun and Seoul Economic Daily expected a backlash from labor. Asia Economy reported that the People Power Party's Choi Su-jin (최수진) said the 52-hour rule should be relaxed and hoped the bill would pass. [ 1 , 2 , 5 , 9 ]