Restoring Affirmative Action Program for Military Veterans

The National Assembly’s National Defense Committee passed a bill yesterday, which will grant military veterans additional points during hiring.

But women’s rights organizations and activist groups for the disabled are showing strong opposition to the bill, which is likely to make the bill’s final passage tough.

The committee convened its full session and passed the legislation by 7 yeas, 2 nays and 2 abstentions. Should the bill become law, a military veteran seeking employment would receive extra points, as provided under executive order, in the range of two percent to scores the job applicant earns on each category of the written employment exam.

Considering the sensitivity surround the legislation, if passed, it would take effect one year after the president signs it into law. If the current session of the National Assembly passes the bill, veterans can begin to enjoy the privilege beginning early next year.

Previously, South Korea granted similar advantages to veterans by giving them three to five percent extra, but the Constitutional Court found the practice illegal in a 1999 ruling.

The Korean Women’s Association and the Korean Disabled Federation held a joint press conference at the National Assembly yesterday and issued a statement. In the statement, they argued against the veteran privilege program, noting that the Constitutional Court had already found it unconstitutional. They also promised to campaign against lawmakers who vote for the program in the upcoming general elections.

Four Grand National Party lawmakers, Hwang Jin-hah, Kim Hak-song, Goh Cho-heung, and Lee Seong-gu, United New Democratic Party (UNDP) lawmaker Cho Seong-tae, and two Democratic Party lawmakers, Rhee In-je and Kim Song-ja, voted for the bill, while UNDP lawmaker Won Hye-yeong and independent lawmaker Ahn Yeong-geun voted against it. National Defense Committee Chairman Kim Seong-gon and Liberal Forward Party lawmaker Yoo Jae-geon did not cast a vote.

jkmas@donga.com