Seoul has moved to block a plan to codify and expand "rights-based public jobs" for people with severe disabilities. The city said the scope of the work is unclear and that mandating the expansion and support of a specific program could excessively restrict the mayor's authority over budget planning and program execution.
Seoul said on the 1st that it had asked the Seoul Metropolitan Council on Sept. 30 to reconsider a partial amendment to the city's ordinance on promoting employment and vocational rehabilitation for people with disabilities. The amendment was proposed on Aug. 10 and passed a council plenary session on Sept. 11.
The amendment newly defines "rights-based public jobs" and requires the development, distribution and expansion of such jobs to be included in the city's implementation plans. It also mandates support, in partnership with independent living support centers and lifelong education facilities for people with disabilities, for people with severe disabilities who are not economically active or not covered by the minimum wage.
Seoul first pointed to the unclear scope of the duties involved in rights-based public jobs. The amendment defines the work as including awareness-raising, culture and the arts, and rights advocacy activities, but does not set out the specific boundaries or criteria for judging advocacy activities. The city said disputes could arise over how far campaigns or attendance at rallies should be recognized as duties of jobs funded by public money.
The city also cited the results of the earlier program. A 2023 survey of the "customized public jobs for people with severe disabilities based on rights," which Seoul ran from 2020 to 2023, found that activities related to rallies, protests and campaigns accounted for 50.4% of all work activities by participants from 2020 to 2022. The city said standards and operating methods need to be reviewed so that duties are not concentrated in particular activities.
Seoul raised concerns over budget and program execution authority as well. By requiring that the expansion of a specific type of job be included in implementation plans and stipulating that linked support with independent living support centers and lifelong education facilities "shall be carried out," the amendment could limit the mayor's discretion over budget planning and administrative execution, the city said. It added that further review is needed on whether the amendment aligns with the intent of the higher-level law governing employment promotion and vocational rehabilitation for people with disabilities.
Since 2024, Seoul has separately run a "customized specialized jobs" program of 20 hours a week. "We hope the council will review again the issues surrounding job standards, how the program is carried out, and budget and execution authority, so that public jobs provide real help to participants and operate with the trust of citizens," said Jung Jin-woo, head of Seoul's welfare office.
