The Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises said on the 17th that it had proposed improvements on "rationalizing economic criminal penalties" to the government and the National Assembly. The aim, it said, is to address the excessive legal liability faced by small and medium-sized businesses and self-employed people.
Earlier, on the 4th, KBIZ held a "communication meeting with small and medium-sized businesses for rationalizing economic criminal penalties and civil liability" with the Democratic Party of Korea's task force on rationalizing economic criminal penalties and civil liability, gathering on-site feedback.
KBIZ argued for the need to improve not only by abolishing the crime of breach of trust, but also by addressing unreasonable cases in which even simple administrative mistakes or minor violations are subject to criminal punishment in areas closely tied to people's livelihoods.
For signs such as those on cafes or convenience stores run by self-employed people, installing outdoor advertisements is mandatory, and a representative example is cases where fines are imposed for failing to file a change report.
There was also an opinion that when pollutants are not measured or records are not kept, the level of sanctions should be lowered to a penalty surcharge. Under the Clean Air Conservation Act, enacted to prevent air pollution, protect public health, and create a pleasant environment, failure to measure pollutants is subject to criminal punishment.
Kim Ki-mun, head of KBIZ, said, "Small and medium-sized businesses have fewer legal support staff than large corporations, so the same regulations weigh much more heavily," and added, "A system in which even simple mistakes lead to criminal punishment discourages corporate management activities and negatively affects new investment and job creation."
He added, "We hope the government and the National Assembly will reasonably overhaul unreasonable economic criminal penalty rules to create an environment where small and medium-sized businesses can feel secure to take on challenges and innovate."