"South Korean Government, Pro-Business Anti-Labor"... Korean Federation of Trade Unions Chairman Directly Criticizes Yoon at ILO General Assembly

"Yoon Must Abandon Attitude That Ignores Labor Value"
ILO Secretary-General "Watching Closely"

Kim Dong-myeong, Chairman of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), publicly criticized the South Korean government for "consistently pursuing pro-business and anti-labor policies."

Chairman Kim made the remarks on the 10th (local time) during a speech representing the Korean labor sector at the 112th International Labour Organization (ILO) General Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland.

Kim stated, "The general election last April ended in a 'historic defeat' for the ruling party, which is a natural consequence of the devastation of labor-management relations and the labor market over the past two years," adding, "The government and ruling party must break away from the outdated view of labor issues as a conflict between social classes."

To this end, he urged for ▲ the application of the Labor Standards Act to workplaces with fewer than five employees ▲ the cessation of attempts to apply minimum wage discrimination by industry ▲ the revision of Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union Act (Yellow Envelope Act) ▲ and the guarantee of political fundamental rights for teachers and public officials.

He also emphasized, "The FKTU's position remains unchanged that social dialogue channels must be maintained under any circumstances," and added, "President Yoon Suk-yeol should abandon his biased attitude that ignores the value of labor, hiding behind slogans such as labor reform and the establishment of labor rule of law, and engage in genuine communication with the labor sector."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He further stated, "This year will be an important year in setting new directions for social reform for workers in South Korea and around the world," and expressed hope that "we all engrave in our hearts the 1944 Philadelphia Declaration that proclaimed 'Labor is not a commodity.'"

Earlier, delegations from the FKTU and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) met with ILO Secretary-General Gilbert Houngbo to request support and solidarity for expanding the Labor Standards Act, enacting the Yellow Envelope Act, and preventing discriminatory application of the minimum wage.

Secretary-General Houngbo responded, "We are closely monitoring the situation in South Korea," and said, "We can explore solutions through various diplomatic means, including the ILO's supervisory and monitoring functions," according to the FKTU.

The General Assembly will continue until the 14th. Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jeong-sik and Chairman of the Korea Employers Federation Son Kyung-sik will also deliver speeches on behalf of the government and business sectors, respectively, on the same day.

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