Korean Cabinet approves motion to urge presidential veto on contentious bills

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, third from left, presides over a Cabinet meeting. [Photo by Yonhap]

The South Korean Cabinet proposed Friday that President Yoon Suk Yeol exercise his veto power over the amendments to the labor union and public broadcasting laws that were unilaterally passed by the opposition parties in November.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo presided over a Cabinet meeting where the members approved the motion to take back the amendments to the four contentious bills.

“It is questionable whether these amendments are truly for the benefit of all workers or for the independence and neutrality of public broadcasters,” Han said. “The government has explained the side effects and issues of the amendments on several occasions, but it is very regrettable that they were passed in the National Assembly without sufficient discussion.”

The amendment to the labor union law allows unions to engage in any type of actions, including strikes, concerning their working conditions. It also includes limitations on the scope of compensation responsibility for damage to the company caused by the union.

The amendments to the three broadcasting laws, including the Broadcasting Act, remove the power of the boards of the nation’s public broadcasters to appoint their presidents and establish president recommendation committees to appoint their presidents.

They also allow the majority of their board members and executives to be appointed by the majority party in the National Assembly and civic organizations.

Regarding the labor union law amendment, Han noted the government’s concerns, saying that the amendment could “significantly undermine healthy labor-management relations and cause conflicts and confusion in industrial sites, leading to considerable challenges for the public and the national economy.”

Concerning the three broadcasting bills, Han said that they “excessively focus on changes in the governance structure” rather than establishing a forward-looking new role for public broadcasters.

“Although the amendments claim to aim for the independence and political neutrality of public broadcasting, there are also criticisms that they may yield opposite results,” Han said. “By forming the board of directors with specific interests or biased organizations, the fairness and public interest may be compromised.”