Woo Won-sik: "Government hints at 'use of public authority,' subcontractors turn away... If extreme situations arise, Yoon must take responsibility"

Woo Won-sik, Democratic Party Daewoo Shipbuilding TF Leader
"President Yoon, who took a hardline stance, must take responsibility if Daewoo Shipbuilding reaches an extreme situation"

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] On the 22nd, Woo Won-sik, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, commented on the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering subcontractor union strike, stating, "Since President Yoon Seok-yeol is taking a hardline stance and has hinted at the deployment of public authority, if public authority is deployed and the situation becomes extreme, the president must take responsibility."

Woo, who is the head of the Democratic Party's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Response Task Force, appeared on MBC Radio's "Kim Jong-bae's Focus" that morning and said, "This is a site where such an incident is highly likely to occur, and it could lead to the worst possible situation."

After visiting the strike site, Woo explained, "When I went down there, the union leadership showed a willingness to take responsibility for the primary contractor's damages lawsuit issue, which was a step forward, but an unexpected issue resurfaced. The subcontractors originally showed an attitude of not pursuing damages or provisional seizure, but suddenly they raised the issue of 'we will also pursue damages and provisional seizure,' causing difficulties."

Woo said, "The subcontractors' shift to a hardline stance seems to reflect the government's strong drive, with ministers, including the president, waiting as long as possible and then saying things like 'this is an illegal strike' and 'public authority will be deployed.'"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding the situation on the ground, he said, "There are signs that police from the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam area are moving toward the Okpo shipyard, and police forces have begun to be deployed inside the Okpo shipyard. Also, the west and south gates have reportedly been blocked," adding, "After the president said 'we have waited long enough,' the entire government has taken a very hardline stance and appears to be preparing to actually deploy public authority."

He added, "When I visited the site, I saw a person inside a 1-meter metal box, a metal prison on the ground, and I heard that person brought flammable materials inside. Not only that person, but six others are on a railing about 15 to 20 meters high, which requires climbing a right-angled ladder. (If public authority is deployed) it will be very dangerous."

Regarding reports that the Korea Development Bank is considering initiating corporate bankruptcy procedures for Daewoo Shipbuilding, he said, "It should not be done in such a threatening manner." Woo stated, "As the nation's top policy bank, the KDB should strive to revitalize the shipbuilding industry. We need to fundamentally consider how to resolve this issue and grow the shipbuilding industry."

Woo Won-sik, head of the Democratic Party's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Response Task Force, is attending the 2nd TF meeting held at the National Assembly on the 22nd and delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Woo Won-sik, head of the Democratic Party of Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Response Task Force, is delivering opening remarks at the 2nd TF meeting held at the National Assembly on the 22nd. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

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