Employment of children under 13 to be banned

Employing children under the age of 13 or younger will be banned as early as this month. The Ministry of Labor will revise related rules shortly to that effect. Currently, children aged below 15 can get jobs, if he or she has work permits issued by the ministry. The new policy is in keeping with an International Labor Organization agreement that prevents children under 13 from working, even at easy jobs. The ILO¡¯s Agreement No. 138 went into effect this year.

Under the Labor Standard Law and the regulations on labor supervisors¡¯ official duties, children under specific ages have to be issued labor minister¡¯s work permit endorsed by their patrons to be employed. Namely, even children under 15 can find jobs if they have such work permits.

The ministry already instructed regional labor offices early this year not to issue work permits to those under 13 and is now stipulating it in the related laws and rules, a ministry spokesman said Monday. At present, those who hire children under 15 without work permits are subject to up to two years¡¯ imprisonment or 10 million won in fines.

Jung Young-Gwan yongari@donga.com