[Reporter’s Notebook] The 'Empty' Meeting of Jaegab Lee and Kyungho Son

Minister Lee Jae-gap of the Ministry of Employment and Labor is delivering opening remarks at the "30 Major Companies CHO Meeting" held on the 25th at the Koreana Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] "We ask that an environment be created where companies can increase investment and employment." (Kyungho Son, Chairman of the Korea Employers Federation)

"Please do your best to maintain employment." (Jaegab Lee, Minister of Employment and Labor)

At 8:20 a.m. on the 25th at the Koreana Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Before the '30 Major Companies' HR and Labor Officers (CHO) Meeting' hosted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the tea time between the Minister of Labor and the Chairman of the Korea Employers Federation was amicable. In the waiting room, they exchanged greetings and occasionally laughed.

However, this atmosphere did not last long. Chairman Son cautiously brought up a taboo topic in his greeting at the meeting, saying, "Recently, many policies and legislations promoted by the government and the National Assembly have increased the burden on companies, which is very concerning for the business community." For a moment, silence was felt in the venue.

Then Minister Lee began his remarks with an understanding tone, saying, "I am well aware of the business community's interest and concerns regarding the amendment of the Labor Union Act," but he expressed his intention to push forward with the law by adding, "It is also important to support corporate management activities by complying with international labor standards appropriate to our country's national status and resolving trade risks." He also said, "I believe it is the responsibility of companies and the older generation to give hope to young people who have been driven to the 'COVID-19 employment cliff,'" and requested, "Although it is a difficult time, please make efforts to hire young people by making maximum use of non-face-to-face (untact) interview methods."

Although the remarks were expected, the expressions of the businesspeople were full of regret. They were told in one sentence to "accept regulations and increase employment" despite their concerns about the tsunami of corporate regulatory bills. This meeting, arranged for the Ministry of Employment and Labor to explain major employment and labor policies and listen to difficulties in the corporate field, ended leaving only the tasks of strengthening regulations and creating jobs.

As a result, voices questioning the significance of such gatherings also emerged. A business official said, "I don't know what effect making requests to the Minister of Employment and Labor will have when the related bills have already been sent to the National Assembly," and complained, "If you want to listen widely to the business community's opinions, shouldn't it have been done before sending the bills to the National Assembly?" The emptiness of the Minister's emphasis at the meeting that "we will listen to the voices of companies 'loudly' and 'think deeply'" is probably because of this.

Companies this year, hit by the unexpected variable of COVID-19, are at a crossroads between life and death. When crisis management ability is more important than ever, if regulations that rapidly weaken the basic strength of companies are pushed through, companies will no longer be able to endure. An environment must be created where companies, the main agents of job creation, can voluntarily increase jobs.

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