LG Electronics issued an official statement on the recent knife attack by a partner company employee at the Magok Business Center in Seoul, saying, "The assailant's claim that a dismissal notice was given is not true, and no signs of workplace bullying against the victims have been confirmed."
According to LG Electronics on the 29th, the assailant, identified as A, claimed right after the crime that the attack was motivated by "dissatisfaction with a dismissal notice," but the company said that is not true.
Before the incident, on the 12th, LG Electronics asked the affiliated partner company to replace A as the person in charge due to insufficient job performance. The partner company then held a meeting with A at about 10:20 a.m. on the 27th, the day of the incident, during which it was reportedly proposed to remove A from the LG Electronics project and transfer A to another project within the company.
LG Electronics said, "There was no dismissal notice during the meeting," adding, "Because A signed a one-year reemployment contract with the employer after reaching the mandatory retirement age in April this year, the end of the LG Electronics project cannot be regarded as a dismissal."
According to the company, the meeting ended at about 10:43 a.m., and A committed the crime at about 11:13 a.m., roughly 30 minutes later.
Regarding claims raised by some that "the victims routinely ignored or talked down to the assailant," LG Electronics also drew a line, saying they were not confirmed as facts.
LG Electronics said that, based on its internal review, no indications have been found so far that the victims engaged in workplace bullying or inappropriate remarks toward A. The company added that it understands A made no related complaints through the partner company's labor-management council or grievance-handling systems over the past two years.
Addressing criticism of lax oversight of the partner company, LG Electronics countered, "The partner company has an independent personnel and attendance management system and has carried out work under a lawful service contract."
LG Electronics said, "We express strong regret over the assailant's attempt to shift the motive for the crime onto the company and the victims," adding, "Given that a weapon not easily possessed without prior preparation was used and the assailant fled afterward, we find it hard to agree with the claim that this was an impulsive crime."
It added, "Unverified one-sided claims could cause secondary harm to the victims and their families," emphasizing, "We will actively support the treatment and recovery of the affected employees and reexamine the overall processes for operating partner companies."
Earlier, at about 10 a.m. on the 27th, at LG Electronics' Magok Business Center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, a partner company employee identified as A wielded a knife at two LG Electronics employees, injuring them, and then fled. Police apprehended A right after the crime and are currently investigating on suspicion of attempted murder.