President Yoon Suk Yeol voiced his displeasure over parliament’s failure to pass an extension to the grace period for the Serious Accident Punishment Act for small businesses in Thursday’s plenary session.

According to presidential spokesperson Kim Soo-kyung on Friday, Yoon expressed regret over the main opposition Democratic Party's(DP) irresponsible disregard for the difficulties of businesses with fewer than 50 employees as well as the people’s livelihoods 

The president then ordered the labor ministry and other related agencies to minimize confusion and consequences at industrial sites from the act's expanded enforcement from Saturday.

Yoon also ordered measures to be drawn up to support small businesses whose survival may be threatened due to lack of preparation for the act.

Under the act, enforced since 2022, business owners face a minimum one-year prison term or a fine of up to one billion won, or around 748-thousand U.S. dollars, upon the death or serious injury of an employee in the workplace.

On Thursday, Yoon urged rival political parties to pass the two-year extension, citing the nation's struggling 830-thousand small business owners.