Kim Young-hoon calls for social dialogue on labor exemptions in mega-project zone law

Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon said Tuesday that social dialogue on labor exemptions under the so-called super-mega special zone law — designed to support major national projects — "must be made to succeed."

Kim made the remarks at the Ministry of Employment and Labor's comprehensive national audit by the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee, responding to a question from People Power Party lawmaker Lee Jong-bae, who asked whether tripartite talks on introducing labor exemptions under the law were stalling. "There is reason for that concern," Kim said.

"Sustainable development is only possible when corporate productivity and workers' health rights are brought into harmony," Kim said. "With that in mind, I will work to ensure social dialogue proceeds well."

"As a member of the Cabinet, I have no doubt that the mega projects on which the nation's future depends must succeed," he added. "Because these are projects no one has attempted before, we are in the process of finding solutions."

On the construction of semiconductor fabrication facilities, Kim said people tend to think only of operators or research and development workers when it comes to semiconductors, but that the construction phase itself is critically important. He said the government is conducting a pan-government assessment of the workforce needed.

"Fabs and data centers are directly tied to national security, so foreign workers cannot simply be brought in — we need to train more skilled construction workers ourselves," Kim said. "We will put together a pan-government construction workforce development plan as soon as possible."

He added that while construction sites have long been seen as undesirable jobs — dangerous, dirty and physically demanding, especially for young people — construction work could find renewed appeal in the AI era.