Labor ministry seeks power to order removal of fake job ads

The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Tuesday it will seek authority to order the correction, suspension or deletion of false job advertisements. The proposal responds to damage suffered by job seekers due to deceptive postings that currently can only be addressed through criminal penalties.

Under the draft amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Job Security Act, officials would gain the legal means to intervene while fraudulent ads remain active. The measure implements provisions from a revised law promulgated on June 9 that takes effect on December 10.

Orders for correction or removal must be issued in writing, detailing the parties involved, ad identifiers, grounds for the command and deadlines for compliance. In cases where job seekers face serious harm, authorities may issue initial commands verbally or by phone before following up with formal documentation.

When notifying relevant agencies of false advertising incidents, officials must submit documents outlining potential risks to job seekers and requested corrective actions. Execution of these measures will be delegated based on the type of employment service involved. Commands regarding overseas paid services, job information providers and worker supply businesses will fall under the jurisdiction of job security agency heads, while authority over domestic free and paid employment services will be assigned to local government chiefs.

The ministry is accepting public comments on the draft until November 2 through the National Participation in Legislation Center website or via written submission.