President Moon Jae-in on Sunday stressed the government's efforts in enhancing labor rights as he thanked workers for their dedication in the fight against the novel coronavirus.

In his message marking the 132nd Labor Day, Moon said his government worked hard on guaranteeing fundamental labor rights in the past five years.

"We ratified key International Labor Organization conventions, raised minimum wage and exercised the 52-hour work week system ... and made progress in work-life balance," Moon wrote on his Facebook page and Twitter account. "Labor must be protected by the employment safety net."

Moon, whose five-year terms ends on May 9, also said he expects the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act to drastically reduce workplace disasters.

The Serious Accidents Punishment Act went into effect in the country in January, under which owners and CEOs of companies with five or more employees can face a minimum one-year prison sentence or up to a fine of 1 billion won (US$791,700) in the event of serious workplace disasters.

"While overcoming the novel coronavirus, we have learned how thankful to be for essential workers' devotion," he said. (Yonhap)