Former Supreme Court Justice Kim Seon-su, who was the chair of the 'Employment and Safety Council for the Power Industry' under the Prime Minister's office, discussed the pressing issue of safer employment structures for subcontracted laborers. In a conversation with Hankyoreh, he highlighted that the current structure often puts subcontracted workers in hazardous roles, reinforcing the call for direct employment agreements that improve safety standards. The recent agreement for the Korea Electric Power Corporation's (KPS) to directly hire secondary subcontracted workers is viewed as a crucial initial step towards reducing workplace fatalities among those laborers.

Kim pointed out that the collaboration between primary contractors and subcontractors often leads to unfair practices, where the most dangerous tasks are disproportionately assigned to subcontracted workers. He condemned the use of 'safety outsourcing' and the multi-tier subcontracting system as both unethical and counterproductive to achieving fairness in the labor market. He argued that it is unjust to sacrifice vulnerable groups under the guise of maintaining fairness among primary workers, marking a clear separation between true justice and mere rhetoric.

This initiative, revolving around a council created after the tragic death of a subcontract worker at the Taean Power Plant, aims to rectify public sector legal violations and sever the cycle of danger perpetuated by outsourcing. The recent agreement represents the first significant case of large-scale direct employment of subcontracted workers under the current administration, with subsequent detailed discussions regarding pay structures and employment conditions to take place with all involved parties, including labor rights experts. However, this move has sparked controversy among existing unions of primary contractors, indicating a potential labor dispute amidst efforts to enhance worker protections.