Expert panel formed for ratification of ILO conventions

By Kim Hyun-bin

An expert panel has been formed to inspect Korea's efforts to fulfill key International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions.

The EU has set up free trade deals with 74 countries, but this marks the first time an expert panel has been convened over a labor rights issue. Concerns are that Korea could become the first country to be labeled a "labor rights violator" if it concludes Korea's failure to ratify the ILO conventions is in violation of the Korea-EU FTA.

Labor Minister Lee Jae-kap

Since July, the EU has been requesting to launch an expert panel to review Seoul's compliance with the FTA, which is the last stage for resolving international disputes.

The EU believes Korea has not made sufficient efforts to fulfill key ILO conventions under the FTA labor rules.

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, Thursday, the three-person expert panel has been established and will become active Dec. 30 to check if Korea is committed to ratifying the four conventions.

Korea joined the ILO in 1991, but failed to ratify four out of the eight core conventions ― labor standards No. 87 and No. 98 on freedom of association and No. 29 and No. 105 on abolition of forced labor.

The panel will have 90 days to gather opinions and information from government officials, international agencies and experts, before submitting a recommendations report to Korea and the EU.

The panel consists of a representative each from Korea, the EU and a third country.

The Korean side will be represented by Lee Jae-min, a professor at Seoul National University School of Law, while the EU appointed Laurence Boisson de Chazournes, a professor at Geneva University, and for the third-country expert, U.S. lawyer Thomas Pinansky, was appointed jointly by Korea and the EU.

“The government plans to explain in detail to the expert panel the country's continuous efforts to implement the ILO conventions into law,” the ministry said

Even if the panel concludes Korea has violated the FTA labor rules, it has no authority to slap trade-related restrictions on Seoul. However, the move could seriously tarnish Korea's reputation as the country will become the first to be found to have violated the FTA labor rules with the EU.

On Sept. 24, the government passed bills approving three of the four conventions that the country has not yet ratified ― No. 87 and No. 98 which are aimed at guaranteeing freedom of association, and No. 29 that prevents forced labor. For the remaining one, Convention No. 105, the government said it requires further review as it is related to the punishment of people violating the National Security Law.

But its chances to be approved at the National Assembly to become law are not high, as conservative opposition parties are against the conventions.