Labor ministry seeks public name for new worker welfare body

The labor ministry said Monday it will take suggestions from the public through Nov. 20 for a new name for a welfare body it is setting up to support platform workers, freelancers and others whose jobs fall outside the traditional employee-centred system.

The agency, currently known by the working title K-Labor Welfare Conference, is intended to fill gaps in the current framework. The spread of the digital and platform economy has changed how people work, but existing rules built around full-time employees have limited room to help those in other arrangements.

Any member of the public interested in improving the welfare and rights of working people can enter, submitting a proposed name and the reason for it through a Naver form.

The contest is meant to draw the name from the public rather than from the ministry, so that the body's purpose is reflected in what it is called. The winner is scheduled to be announced at a town hall meeting on Dec. 1.

The ministry said it will gather views from labor and management groups by industry between November and December, and use them to draw up a detailed roadmap for the new organisation.