Han Jeong-ae of the Democratic Party of Korea proposed a bill to amend the Act on Fairness in Hiring Procedures. This followed the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) seeking to impose fines in connection with allegations that the child of former Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung received preferential hiring at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, which sparked controversy over the interpretation of the hiring procedures act.
The office of Democratic Party lawmaker Han Jeong-ae, a member of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee of the National Assembly, said on the 14th that the previous day she led the introduction of an amendment to the hiring procedures act that explicitly includes state institutions within the scope of employers.
The amendment explicitly stipulates that the scope of employers includes the state, local governments, and public institutions. Under the current law, employers are prohibited from changing job postings to the disadvantage of applicants and from engaging in fraudulent acts such as false job advertisements. Violations are subject to various sanctions, including fines and criminal penalties.
Earlier, the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) determined in Aug. that the Korea National Diplomatic Academy violated the hiring procedures act when the child of the former prosecutor general, although a "master's degree candidate," passed a recruitment that required a master's degree at the academy. The ministry therefore sought to impose fines on the academy for granting preferential hiring to the former prosecutor general's child.
However, the Ministry of Government Legislation interpreted that fines can be imposed only when there is a provision that explicitly includes state institutions, putting the brakes on the labor ministry. Rep. Han said the amendment includes the state, local governments, and public institutions in the hiring procedures act to resolve interpretive disputes and ensure that state institutions fulfill their role as model employers.
Han said, "The preferential hiring case for the former prosecutor general's child is an abuse of power in which a state institution, which should set the best example in hiring procedures, took the lead in granting hiring favors to a specific individual," adding, "Through the amendment of the hiring procedures act, we will ensure that cases like the preferential hiring of the former prosecutor general's child never happen again."
Han added, "According to the labor ministry's investigation, the Korea National Diplomatic Academy's hiring of the former prosecutor general's child was confirmed to be an improper hire," and said, "The former prosecutor general's child, who passed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters recruitment based on a career at the academy that was found to be an improper hire, should have the acceptance promptly canceled."