The ruling and opposition parties clashed on the 17th at a full meeting of the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee over the project expenses to support facilities for the two major umbrella labor groups included in next year's budget bill.
The Budget and Settlement Fund Review Subcommittee of the Environment and Labor Committee, while reviewing the 2026 budget under the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) on this day, included 11 billion won in project expenses to support umbrella labor group facilities in the budget bill at the request of the Democratic Party. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) will receive 5.5 billion won for converting the lease deposit on its main office, and the Federation of Korean Trade Unions will receive 5.5 billion won to replace elevators at its central workers' welfare center.
Democratic Party lawmakers emphasized the public-interest role of the umbrella groups and argued that support is necessary. Lee Yong-woo of the Democratic Party said at the full meeting, "(Umbrella labor groups) may represent the interests of their affiliated members, but there is clearly a part where they play a public-interest role on national labor policy and labor issues."
In contrast, the People Power Party argued that this budget is a reward-type support project provided to the two umbrella groups that contributed to the presidential election. Woo Jae-joon of the People Power Party said, "The fact that the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) was the group that contributed the most to the change of government is probably known to all the people," adding, "Even the Federation of Korean Trade Unions supported candidate Lee Jae-myung in the last presidential election. By any measure, it is a quid pro quo support project."
Kim Young-hoon, Minister of the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL), said in response, "This is intended to impose greater social responsibility on the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), and we will ask them to play a role befitting that," adding, "We will conduct thorough oversight during execution and ensure that the funds are used for their intended purpose."
However, after the back-and-forth, the ruling and opposition parties processed the budget bill by agreement without a separate vote. Since the budget bill was handled by agreement between the ruling and opposition parties in the Budget and Settlement Fund Review Subcommittee, it was also decided not to hold a vote at the full meeting. The budget bill for next year under the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) that passed the full meeting of the Environment and Labor Committee on this day will go through the Budget Committee before the final version is confirmed.