Labor ministry seeks public's help to name worker rights network

South Korea's labor ministry said Tuesday it will hold a public contest to name a government-civilian network set up to protect the labor rights of all working people.

The Korea Labor Foundation, a public institution under the Ministry of Employment and Labor, is running the naming competition from Oct. 20 to Nov. 8. Anyone interested in labor rights protection can enter by submitting a proposed name for the network and an explanation of its meaning through an online form.

The network pools the efforts of central and local governments, private labor centers and labor organizations, linking labor counseling, education, legal support and rights relief so that anyone struggling at work can reach the help they need. The foundation said the contest is meant to tie field-level labor support services together more effectively, narrowing blind spots in rights protection and speeding help to difficulties reported on the ground.

Entrants may also propose the kinds of support they believe workers need and the role the government should play in protecting labor rights. A panel will judge submissions on creativity, completeness, suitability and practical usefulness, with results announced on Nov. 18.

One winning entry will receive 500,000 won ($375) in Onnuri gift certificates. Fifty other participants drawn by lottery will each receive a mobile cultural gift certificate worth 20,000 won ($15).

"For the protection of working people's labor rights, it is important that the various actors in the field each fulfill their roles while continuing the support they are needed for together," said Park Jong-pil, secretary general of the foundation. "Starting with this contest, we will work to spread the awareness that anyone can have their labor rights protected, and to help the public easily understand and use the various support and activities for labor rights protection."

Full details are available in the notice posted on the foundation's website, www.nosa.or.kr. Inquiries go to the foundation's labor rights promotion team, led by Ma Gye-hee, with senior specialist Yoo Hye-yoon.