Pohang Mayor Lee Kang-deok, "Now is the Time to Unite for the National Economy!"

Mayor Lee Kang-deok, "Essential to Relocate POSCO Holdings and Future Technology Research Institute Headquarters to Pohang"

Overcoming National Economic Crisis... Request to Postpone Rally Opposing Establishment of Future Research Branch in Seongn

Mayor Lee Kang-deok of Pohang City requested to postpone the large-scale rally in Seoul organized by the Pan-Citizen Countermeasure Committee aimed at withdrawing POSCO Holdings Future Technology Research Institute's plan to establish a metropolitan branch in Wirye District, Seongnam City, scheduled for the 24th of this month.

Mayor Lee emphasized, “We oppose POSCO's move to establish a large-scale metropolitan branch of the Future Technology Research Institute and insist that the actual POSCO Holdings headquarters and the main Future Technology Research Institute in Pohang must be established.”

However, considering that the POSCO Group, which forms the backbone of the national economy, is currently facing internal and external difficulties including labor-management conflicts, Mayor Lee earnestly requested Kang Chang-ho, chairman of the Pan-Citizen Countermeasure Committee for the relocation of POSCO Holdings and the Future Technology Research Institute to Pohang, to postpone large-scale collective actions in order to prioritize the national economy over regional interests.

Currently, POSCO has held 24 rounds of collective bargaining negotiations with the labor union since May but failed to reach an agreement. On the 10th, POSCO applied for mediation to the Central Labor Relations Commission (CLRC), and the labor-management conflict is facing difficulties in resolution during the mediation period.

To make matters worse, the domestic steel industry, including the POSCO Group, is also in a difficult situation. Due to the sharp rise in the price of iron ore, the main raw material, and increases in public utility fees such as electricity charges, the overall construction industry has deteriorated. Additionally, economic slowdown, expanded inflow of Chinese steel products due to sluggish domestic demand in China, and increased imports of Japanese steel products due to the weak yen have delayed the recovery of profits in the steel business.

Mayor Lee stated, “From a magnanimous perspective, please postpone the large-scale rally in Seoul related to the metropolitan branch issue of the Future Technology Research Institute. Now is the time for Pohang City and the POSCO Group to go beyond confrontation and conflict and demonstrate wisdom for coexistence to overcome the national economic crisis together.”

Pohang City Hall.

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