Mayor Kang Kijeong and Kumho Tire Labor-Management Discuss Follow-Up on Plant Relocation

City, National Assembly, Government, and Local Community to Form 'Plant Relocation Support Team'
Cooperation on Resuming Operations at Gwangju Plant 1 and Building New Hampyeong Facility
Administrative Support for 'Urban Planning Changes' in Sale of Gwangju Plant Site

Kang Kijeong, mayor of Gwangju, met with Kumho Tire executives and labor union representatives on the afternoon of the 11th at the city hall business room to discuss practical follow-up measures regarding the "Gwangju Plant Reconstruction and Hampyeong Relocation Labor-Management Agreement." Provided by Gwangju City

On August 12, the Gwangju City Government announced that Mayor Kang Kijeong, along with Kumho Tire executives and union representatives, met in the city hall business room on the afternoon of the 11th to discuss follow-up measures regarding the 'Gwangju Plant Reconstruction and Hampyeong Relocation Labor-Management Agreement.'

This meeting was held as a follow-up response to the labor-management agreement announced by Kumho Tire on July 30. Attendees included Kumho Tire CEO Jung Iltaek, Vice President Kim Myungseon, First Union Representative Hwang Yongpil, and Gokseong Branch Head of the First Union Kang Jungho.

The labor-management agreement includes the following: job security for workers at the Gwangju plant affected by the fire; partial resumption of operations at Gwangju Plant 1, contingent on maintaining production volume; construction of a new Phase 1 plant in the Bitgreen National Industrial Complex in Hampyeong with an annual production capacity of 5.3 million tires; and, in the event of the sale of the Gwangju plant site, plans for relocating Gwangju Plant 1 to Hampyeong and constructing a Phase 2 plant.

Mayor Kang Kijeong reaffirmed the plan to establish and operate the 'Kumho Tire Plant Relocation Support Team' (tentative name), a commitment he made during a meeting with the union in June and during his visit to Kumho Tire's Seoul headquarters. The support team will serve as a 'pan-societal cooperation body' led by Gwangju City, with participation from Kumho Tire, the National Assembly, Gwangju City Council, Gwangsan District, Hampyeong County, and other key regional stakeholders. The team is expected to be officially launched soon, after gathering input from participating organizations.

The city also plans to further define the content and scope of support for the plant relocation through ongoing discussions with Kumho Tire management and the union. Gwangju City will assist in streamlining administrative procedures related to the partial reconstruction of Gwangju Plant 1 and the construction of the new plant in Hampyeong. Additionally, once Kumho Tire proceeds with the sale of the Gwangju plant site, the city will promptly initiate 'preliminary negotiations for urban planning changes' with the developer to ensure the relocation is completed as quickly as possible.

Kumho Tire management and the union also expressed their appreciation for Gwangju City's proactive support in handling the fire incident and welcomed the formation of the relocation support team.

Kumho Tire CEO Jung Iltaek stated, "Thanks to the unwavering behind-the-scenes support from Gwangju City, management and the union were able to reach a smooth agreement. We will make every effort to sell the Gwangju plant site, and we request continued assistance and administrative support for the preliminary negotiations on urban planning changes necessary for the plant relocation."

Hwang Yongpil, representative of Kumho Tire's First Union, also said, "We appreciate Gwangju City's efforts for job security and revitalizing the local economy. We hope for administrative support so that the prompt relocation of the plant can quickly stabilize local employment and the economy."

The meeting also included discussions on the achievements and future plans of the 'Public-Private Joint Special Task Force (TF),' which was formed to respond to the fire damage. Immediately after the Kumho Tire fire, the task force was launched, establishing a systematic response system centered on four divisions: economy, employment, environment and health, and resident support. The task force has implemented practical measures in cooperation with district offices, related organizations, various experts, and citizen representatives.

Mayor Kang Kijeong stated, "To ensure the effective operation of the Kumho Tire Plant Relocation Support Team, Gwangju City, the National Assembly, and the local community will communicate and cooperate closely. We will focus all our efforts so that the reconstruction and relocation of Kumho Tire lead to stable employment and economic recovery in the region."

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