As the legal deadline for determining the minimum wage for 2026 has passed, the microbusiness sector urged for a freeze on the minimum wage.
Song Chi-young, president of the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise (KFME), said on the 2nd, "While we agree with the principle that wages should increase, if it is predicated on someone's business closure and bankruptcy, that is not a just society."
In a special statement that day, Song noted, "The right to survive for microbusiness owners must be respected just as much as workers' rights," and added, "The rapid increase in the minimum wage is driving microbusiness owners to the brink of livelihood."
Currently, labor and management have not been able to find a compromise on next year's minimum wage. During the 8th plenary meeting of the Minimum Wage Commission the day before, the labor sector proposed a minimum wage of 11,360 won, which is an increase of 1,330 won (13.3%), while management suggested 10,090 won, an increase of 60 won (0.6%).
Song stated, "While the major labor unions talk about 'a livable wage', wages that employers cannot afford destroy employment itself," and explained, "Excessive increases in the minimum wage accelerate the transition to automation and unmanned operations, leading to actual reductions in jobs for young people, the elderly, and temporary workers."
He also asserted, "We must not impose standards centered around regular employees of large corporations onto all industries," and said, "The labor sector should not shy away from discussions on flexible measures, such as differentiation based on industry and region."
Moreover, he added, "The minimum wage is not just a simple number, but a reality directly related to the survival of millions of self-employed individuals and microbusinesses," urging that, "The Minimum Wage Commission should seek coexistence with the entire industrial sector and microbusinesses rather than adhering to the unilateral claims of the major labor unions."
The Minimum Wage Commission will resume discussions on the minimum wage during its 9th plenary meeting at the government's Sejong Office on the 3rd. On that day, the commission is expected to present a facilitation period for deliberation after reviewing the fifth revised proposals from both labor and management. The facilitation period is when public interest committee members suggest the upper and lower limits of the proposed increase if negotiations between labor and management are deemed difficult.