Freelance Interpreters at South Korea's National Assembly Face Job Insecurity
The National Assembly's communication hall is a bustling hub of activity, hosting numerous press conferences throughout the year. While these events are often reserved for politicians to make their political statements, they also provide a rare platform for marginalized voices to be heard. Since August 2020, sign language interpreters have been stationed at the communication hall to ensure accessibility for the hearing impaired.
However, on February 14, a surprising announcement disrupted the usual proceedings: interpreters were informed that they would only be working until the end of that day. This news shocked many, including familiar lawmakers and staff. The interpreters, classified as freelancers, do not have the same job security as regular employees. They work on a freelance basis, following the schedules set by the National Assembly, but lack benefits such as severance pay, paid leave, and insurance. This situation has led to the term 'fake freelancers' being used to describe their precarious employment status.
The National Assembly's Secretariat issues annual tenders for sign language interpretation services, with a budget of around 100 million won. The requirements stipulate that only experienced interpreters with national certification can be hired. However, the companies that win these contracts are often not specialized in sign language interpretation and typically hire interpreters on a freelance basis. As a result, interpreters receive business income rather than employment income, facing a 3.3% tax deduction. The companies providing these services have changed annually, and the four interpreters who worked last year were let go when the new company refused to continue their employment.
Park Ji-yeon, an interpreter who began working at the National Assembly in April 2024, shared her experience, stating that she believed the new service provider would take over their employment. Instead, she received notice on February 13 that they would only be working until the next day. This is not the first time such abrupt job losses have occurred; similar situations happened last year, leaving interpreters in shock. Han Eun-hee, another interpreter, expressed her disappointment, stating that despite their freelance status, they prioritized the National Assembly's schedule, only to be met with sudden job termination.
The daily routine for interpreters is demanding, requiring them to be on standby from 9 AM to 6 PM. The scheduling of press conferences is managed by the Secretariat, and the number of interpreters available can vary. Payment is calculated not by hourly or daily rates but by a per-minute basis, approximately 3,600 to 4,000 won per minute. Even when there are few scheduled events, interpreters must remain on standby without compensation for waiting time. In some cases, interpreters have earned as little as 12,000 won for an entire day of waiting. There are no designated break times, and while a lunch break was established last year, it was not consistently enforced until 2023.
Given these working conditions, it is reasonable to view interpreters as dependent workers rather than true freelancers. The nature of their work does not align with the typical definition of freelance contracts. As a result, interpreters at the National Assembly often find themselves anxious as the end of the year approaches, uncertain if the next service provider will retain them. Even within the National Assembly's broadcasting service, which has a higher demand for interpreters, the employment structure remains the same. Park noted that her time working in the broadcasting service was also marked by annual contracts, leading to ongoing insecurity.
In contrast, cleaning staff at the National Assembly were directly employed starting in 2017, a rare instance of direct employment among the many workers at the Assembly. The Secretariat had previously considered direct employment for interpreters in 2022, recognizing the issues with the current structure where service providers take a significant portion of the budget. However, despite hopes for budget inclusion in 2023, the Ministry of Economy and Finance deemed the costs too high.
The recent sudden departures of interpreters have brought the issue back into the spotlight, prompting National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik to acknowledge the situation and seek improvements. Woo has previously been instrumental in securing direct employment for cleaning staff. Jeong Hye-kyung, a member of the Progressive Party, stated that efforts are underway to assess and address labor conditions within the National Assembly.
However, there are concerns that the push for direct employment should not be merely a temporary emotional appeal or a one-time event. The National Assembly, as a symbol of democracy, should not perpetuate the widespread issue of 'fake freelancers' that plagues the labor market. Jeong Jin-woo, a representative from the Rights Finding Union, pointed out that while many believed only delivery workers faced this issue, it is prevalent across various sectors, including unexpected areas like cafeteria staff. He emphasized that if the National Assembly is facing such issues, it is likely that no sector is immune. The employment of interpreters under 'fake freelancer' contracts sends a troubling message to the public about the acceptability of such practices.
