Yoon on Daewoo Shipbuilding Strike: "Illegal Actions at Industrial Sites Must End... Ministers Should Resolve"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 18th regarding the prolonged strike by subcontractor unions at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), "Illegal situations in industrial sites must come to an end."

A key official from the Presidential Office conveyed during a briefing held at the Yongsan Presidential Office that President Yoon, during his weekly meeting with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, said, "The rule of law must be established in labor-management relations."

Prime Minister Han had earlier reported to President Yoon, "The prolonged strike is causing enormous damage to our shipbuilding industry and economy, and the DSME labor-management and partner companies, as well as the local community, are suffering greatly."

The official also stated, "There was a briefing on the DSME issue at the chief secretaries' meeting presided over by the President this morning, and the President instructed the relevant ministers to resolve the matter due to its significant impact on the economy," adding, "I understand that the Prime Minister has convened a meeting of related ministers given the seriousness of the situation."

At around 11 a.m. on the same day, Prime Minister Han held an emergency meeting with related ministers at the Government Seoul Office to discuss response measures concerning the DSME subcontractor union strike, which has continued for 47 days.

Attendees at the ministerial meeting included Prime Minister Han, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang, Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jeong-sik, and Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon. Based on the meeting results, the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety plan to issue a joint statement from five ministries at 4:30 p.m. that day.

When asked by reporters whether President Yoon's remark that "illegal situations must be ended" implied consideration of deploying public authority, the official refrained from making specific comments.

However, the official noted, "In fact, the situation with the DSME subcontractor strike has been ongoing for a long time, and DSME itself is a company that has received a large amount of public funds," adding, "It is said that the current revenue loss is about 500 billion KRW. Given the current difficult economic situation, the Presidential Office is paying close attention, expressing concern, and monitoring the situation."

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