President Lee Urges 'Labor-Management-Government Dialogue': "Do Not Avoid, Present Your Opinions"

by Song Seungseop

by Lim Chulyoung

Published 13 Nov.2025 14:52(KST)

President Lee Jaemyung Presides Over Senior Secretary Meeting on the 13th
KCTU Has Refused Social Dialogue Since 1999
President Lee: "Let’s Face Issues Head-On and Resolve Them"
On the 55th Anniversary of Jeon Taeil’s Death, Message to Eradicate Industrial Accidents
"A Shame in the Eyes of the International Community, We Must Change the Industrial Safety Paradigm"

On the 13th, President Lee Jaemyung urged both labor and management to resolve national challenges through social dialogue. President Lee requested that they not refuse dialogue and instead present their opinions.

"Labor, Management, and Government Must Solve National Challenges... Nothing Will Be Achieved by Avoiding Them"

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Senior Secretary Meeting held at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the 13th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Presiding over the Senior Secretary Meeting at the Yongsan Presidential Office on this day, President Lee stated, "Workers, employers, and the government must address national challenges one by one with mutual respect and a spirit of coexistence."

President Lee remarked, "It is only natural for people to have different opinions in a society," and pointed out, "If we avoid each other simply because of differences and conflicts, nothing will be accomplished. In fact, conflicts may even escalate into confrontation."

He added, "From now on, let us face issues head-on rather than avoiding them, present our opinions with confidence, acknowledge the other side’s position, compromise, persuade, and mediate, so that we can resolve the major problems facing our society one by one."

President Lee’s remarks are interpreted as a reference to the current reality in which the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) has not participated in government-led social dialogue since its withdrawal from the Tripartite Commission (now the Economic, Social and Labor Council) in 1999.

President Lee expressed hope, saying, "I urge labor and management to work together for the prompt normalization of the Economic, Social and Labor Council, so that we can resolve the challenges we face through social dialogue and cooperation. I hope we can move beyond minor differences and advance toward a better world where our entire community can prosper together."

"55th Anniversary of Jeon Taeil’s Death, Still a Long Way to Go for Labor Conditions"

President Lee Jae-myung is entering the Senior Secretary Meeting held at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the 13th. Photo by Yonhap News

On this day, President Lee once again emphasized the need to eradicate recurring industrial accidents. He criticized, "Today marks the 55th anniversary of Jeon Taeil’s death, yet we still have a long way to go in improving labor conditions."

President Lee continued, "As seen in the recent tragic incident at the Ulsan thermal power plant, countless workers-like Jeon Taeil-are still on the brink of life and death at their workplaces. We must ensure that injuries or deaths at the workplace, where people simply seek to make a living, are never repeated."

Regarding the repeated industrial accidents in Korea, he said, "It is truly shameful in the eyes of the international community," and instructed, "We must fundamentally change our perception of the industrial safety paradigm."

He directed relevant ministries to "take prompt action to conduct safety inspections at hazardous workplaces during the winter season."