Amendment to Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act passes National Assembly on Thursday
Covers claims, reviews and re-examinations of benefit decisions
Takes effect six months after promulgation following subordinate legislation revision
Vulnerable workers injured on the job will be able to receive free assistance from lawyers and certified labor attorneys when filing industrial accident insurance benefit claims. Support will also extend to reviews and re-examinations of benefit decisions.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor said an amendment to the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act passed the National Assembly's plenary session on Thursday.
The amendment establishes a legal basis for a workers' compensation representation system for vulnerable workers who face difficulties filing industrial accident claims due to economic or social circumstances. It allows them to receive free professional assistance from lawyers and certified labor attorneys not only when filing benefit claims but also when challenging benefit decisions through the review and re-examination process.
The ministry said it expects the system to help socially vulnerable workers — including those who struggle to prove occupational diseases — receive fair and prompt compensation under the industrial accident insurance law. The amended law takes effect six months after promulgation, following revisions to subordinate legislation.
"The workers' compensation representation system will serve as a genuine lifeline for workers who have long struggled to file industrial accident claims due to economic and social hardships," Employment and Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon said. "We will continue to strengthen a field-centered support system so that injured workers can receive swift and fair remedies for their rights."
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