Aftermath of 'Incheon International Airport Regular Employment Conversion'... Blue House National Petition Surpasses 100,000 Signatures

Incheon Airport Corporation Directly Employs 1,902 Security Screening Officers
'In-guk-gong Incident'...Job Seekers Say "Not Equality but Reverse Discrimination"
Ha Tae-kyung: "If Fairness Collapses, South Korea Collapses"

Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Website Bulletin Board Screen Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] As Incheon International Airport Corporation announced that it will directly employ 1,902 security screening personnel by converting them into security guards, the backlash surrounding this decision is intensifying. Job seekers are criticizing the airport corporation's move to convert these workers into regular employees as reverse discrimination. In this regard, a related petition posted on the Blue House website as of the morning of the 24th has recorded over 100,000 signatures.

On the 23rd, a petition titled "Stop the Regularization of Non-Regular Workers in Public Enterprises" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board. As of the morning of the 24th, the petition has garnered 140,565 signatures.

The petitioner stated, "Many public enterprises have regularized non-regular workers so far. However, this conversion at Incheon International Airport is shocking," and pointed out, "Incheon Airport is a company where a high TOEIC score and qualifications are required to pass the document screening. Is it fair to convert everyone without even an exam, let alone having similar qualifications?"

They continued, "More people than the number of regular employees have been converted to regular status. These people will consume the labor union and the company, and the company will become a place for them," and questioned, "What crime have the job seekers who build their qualifications and study to enter here, as well as current employees, committed?"

Furthermore, they said, "Even positions that used to hire temporary workers like part-timers have become regular jobs and receive the same wages and benefits as existing regular employees," adding, "This is not equality. It is reverse discrimination and a greater misfortune for the youth."

Earlier, controversy arose when a screenshot of an open chat room for employees working at Incheon Airport Corporation was revealed on major job-seeking communities.

In the screenshot, one user said, "I returned as a security officer part-timer and now I am going to become a regular employee at Incheon International Airport Corporation (In-guk-gong)," adding, "Suddenly, I became equivalent to Seoul National University level."

When another user asked, "What about those who paid for academies and invested in private education to make efforts?" the responses included mockery such as "Who told you to do that?" and "That was your choice."

Meanwhile, voices of criticism are also coming from the political sphere. Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the Future United Party, stated on his Facebook on the same day, "We have created a world where hardworking youth become suckers," and argued, "The unconditional regularization of non-regular workers at Incheon Airport, which President Moon visited first after his inauguration, has turned out to be a lottery employment. President Moon, who destroyed the value of fairness, should admit his mistake and apologize to the youth."

He added, "The decision at Incheon Airport did not simply eliminate 2,143 new jobs but kicked away the ladder of opportunity for hundreds of thousands of young people," emphasizing, "Fairness means that hardworking youth can at least be rewarded more than those who do not make efforts. If fairness collapses, the Republic of Korea will collapse."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.