Naver's Lee Hae-jin Apologizes for Employee Death: "Will Step Away from Company for Reflection"

Lee Hae-jin Naver GIO

[Asia Economy Reporter Bu Aeri] Lee Hae-jin, GIO (Global Investment Officer) and founder of Naver, officially apologized regarding the employee A’s extreme choice, stating, "The greatest responsibility lies with me, who founded this company, and the management team."

According to the IT industry on the 30th, Lee GIO sent an email to employees saying, "I have always been interested in creating a new culture suited for a new era, have tried many new attempts, and believed that we had created a proud culture in our own way, but now I feel that this belief is collapsing."

He continued, "If workplace harassment occurred within the company and this led to a tragic incident, it is a problem of the overall company culture," adding, "This is not an issue that can be resolved by disciplining just one or two people."

Lee GIO emphasized, "As the board of directors proposed to the management, a fundamental and essential solution is to decentralize authority further, clarify responsibilities more clearly, and bring in younger and newer leaders for a complete overhaul."

Lee GIO said, "I want to take responsibility immediately for the company, but it takes time to establish a new company structure and appoint the next management team," and added, "I believe the board’s proposal to complete the management system reform by the end of the year is appropriate."

Furthermore, he said, "I think it is necessary to take a step back from the company and have a time of self-reflection to look at myself objectively," and added, "I deeply apologize to everyone." However, it is reported that Lee GIO did not disclose any specific plans regarding his future position, despite remarks that seemed to hint at it.

Meanwhile, employee A was found dead near his home close to Naver headquarters located in Bundang-gu, Seongnam City on the 25th of last month. At the scene, a note presumed to have been left by A was found, which reportedly contained contents about experiencing work-related stress. In relation to this, Choi In-hyuk, Naver’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), expressed his intention to resign from all positions within Naver, taking moral responsibility, and the executive directly identified as the perpetrator was dismissed.

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