- Special Act on Supporting Agricultural and Fisheries Workers and Enforcement Decree in effect as of February 15th

 Following the entry into force of the Special Act on Supporting Agricultural and Fisheries Workers on February 15th (Thursday), the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Minister Kang Do-Hyung) announced plans to systematically promote policies for managing the supply and demand of fishery manpower and improving conditions for fishery workers.

 The Special Act requires the government to establish a Basic Plan for Supporting Fisheries Workers every five years outlining details on the training and development of fisheries manpower, short- and long-term management of supply and demand, and improvement in working conditions. Qualified organizations or institutions, including public institutions, are to be designated for the implementation of the key actions of the Basic Plan.

 The Special Act also provides the legal basis for various national support programs, such as employment subsidiaries for fishery businesses that provide an outstanding working environment, incentives for workers with long service years, welfare support for fishery workers, and counseling to protect the rights of fishery workers.

 Accordingly, in line with the implementation of the Special Act, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries plans to hold an open competition to designate an institution to support fishery workers by March 2024 and also establish evaluation criteria to identify outstanding fishery companies. Furthermore, the Ministry will prepare measures to resolve the fishing manpower shortage and improve public attitudes towards fishing jobs through surveys on fishing labor and input from workers on the ground.