Song Eonseok: "Yang Hyangja's Hunger Strike Is an Urgent Appeal... President Lee Must Act on Samsung Electronics Strike"

Encouraging Yang Hyangja on Her Third Day of Hunger Strike

"All Possible Measures, Including Emergency Adjustment Authority, Must Be Mobilized"

Song Eon-seok, floor leader and co-chair of the People Power Party's joint election campaign committee, visited Yang Hyang-ja, the People Power Party candidate for Gyeonggi Province governor, who is currently on a hunger strike demanding a grand labor-management agreement at Samsung Electronics on the 20th. Song stated, "My heart felt heavy on my way to see candidate Yang," and added, "I hope President Lee Jae-myung will take responsibility and step forward directly."

Song made these remarks after visiting Yang's protest site at the entrance of Samsung Electronics' Pyeongtaek campus in Gyeonggi Province that afternoon. Accompanying him at the scene were Jeong Jeom-sik, policy chief and co-chair of the joint election campaign committee; Yoo Sang-beom, senior deputy floor leader; Choi Su-jin, chief spokesperson; and Seo Myeong-ok, lawmaker.

Song Eon-seok, floor leader and co-chair of the People Power Party's joint election campaign committee, met and talked with Yang Hyang-ja, the People Power Party candidate for Gyeonggi Province governor, who is on a hunger strike urging a grand labor-management agreement at Samsung Electronics. They were at the entrance of Samsung Electronics’ Pyeongtaek campus in Gyeonggi Province on the 20th. From left, Jeong Jeom-sik, policy chief and co-chair of the joint election campaign committee; Song Eon-seok, floor leader; Yang Hyang-ja, candidate; and Seo Myeong-ok, lawmaker. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

At the protest site, Song met with Yang and encouraged her, saying, "If you are elected and want to lead Gyeonggi Province well, you need to take good care of your health." They also exchanged opinions on the semiconductor industry crisis, labor-management conflicts, and the Gyeonggi election. During the conversation, Yang reiterated her strong determination, saying, "I will win the election."

After meeting with Yang, Song explained, "The only reason candidate Yang, who should be traveling throughout all 31 cities and counties of Gyeonggi Province, is here on a hunger strike abstaining from food and drink, is because she sincerely appeals to the government that this is the one thing that must be prevented for the sake of Gyeonggi Province and the Republic of Korea."

He stated, "If the strike is carried out, foreign investors will leave Korea, the exchange rate will rise further, and prices will skyrocket." He also said, "The only person who can resolve this situation is President Lee," and urged, "We call on him to mobilize all possible measures, including exercising emergency adjustment powers, to protect the competitiveness of the semiconductor industry and safeguard free business operations."

Yang has been on a hunger strike at this location since the afternoon of the 18th to prevent a general strike resulting from the labor-management conflict at Samsung Electronics. At one point on the day, paramedics from 119 visited to check on Yang's condition. Yang commented, "I hope both labor and management will not let go of the thread of dialogue until the end and will make responsible decisions for the national economy."

Meanwhile, after meeting with Yang that afternoon, Song attended a local meeting on transportation issues together with Yoo Ui-dong, a candidate in the by-election for Pyeongtaek-eul National Assembly seat.

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