The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) said on the 23rd that regions expected to see worsening employment due to the prolonged Middle East war will be designated as "preemptive employment crisis response areas." It also plans to consider designating specific industries as special employment support industries if an industry's crisis deepens.
Minister Kim Young-hoon held an emergency situation review meeting that day on the Middle East war and the fire accident in Daedeok District, Daejeon. Present were the heads of the seven regional employment and labor offices nationwide and the heads of bureaus and offices at the headquarters.
The Minister said, "Given our economic structure, which relies heavily on Middle East energy imports and export-led growth, fluctuations in energy prices, logistics disruptions, and weaker overseas demand can directly and indirectly affect employment conditions by industry." He added, "If we respond after a crisis begins, corporations and workers are already suffering," and said, "What's needed now is execution that captures developments on the ground immediately and responds preemptively."
In response, the ministry will designate regions expected to see worsening employment conditions as preemptive employment crisis response areas. These regions will receive preferential support such as employment retention subsidies. If the war drags on and the crisis in certain industries intensifies, it plans to collect opinions from related agencies and designate them as special employment support industries. Once designated, they can receive benefits such as expanded employment retention subsidies and reduced social insurance burdens.
The ministry will also support stable job seeking by the unemployed based on paying job-seeking benefits and training allowances under the National Tomorrow Learning Card. It also decided to support clearing wage arrears that occur due to managerial difficulties and provide loan support for living stabilization funds for workers with unpaid wages. For new hires, it will strengthen job placement, training, and financial support.
Regarding the Daejeon Anjeon Industry fire that left 14 dead, the Minister ordered a swift investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Office and the Daejeon Regional Employment and Labor Office. The Minister said, "I ask that you thoroughly identify the cause of the accident and swiftly and strictly investigate whether there were legal violations, such as inadequate fire prevention measures at business sites."