President Lee Jae-myung met with the chairpersons of the Korea Trade Union Confederation and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) on the 4th and said, "In order for our society to fundamentally advance to the next stage, we must openly discuss the issues of social safety nets, corporate burdens, and the stability and flexibility of employment". He also requested that both labor unions participate in the Economic, Social and Labor Council, a presidential advisory body. This means that the labor sector must also join in social dialogue to resolve issues of intense labor-management conflict.
On this day, President Lee invited Kim Dong-myung, Chairperson of the Korea Trade Union Confederation, and Yang Kyung-soo, Chairperson of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), to the presidential office for a luncheon meeting. At the meeting, President Lee said, "Even if we fight, we need to meet first to decide whether to reach a conclusion or not; I wonder why labor and management are not meeting at all." He then asked Chairperson Yang, "From the perspective of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), it might be uncomfortable to sit together since the previous administration operated the Economic, Social and Labor Council in a heavy-handed manner."
President Lee stated, "Corporations avoid hiring regular workers and create stable jobs because they believe they cannot solve the problem of (deteriorating employment flexibility) without doing so, leading to increased reliance on non-regular workers. From the workers' perspective, good jobs continually disappear. With everything becoming non-regular, subcontracted, and outsourced, society as a whole becomes unstable, creating a vicious cycle where 'termination is death' for workers."
This statement points out the structural problem where corporations prefer non-regular workers due to the rapidly changing business environment, while workers, who desperately need job stability, can only desire regular positions. President Lee said, "To resolve this issue, we must talk, build trust, and coordinate, and the first step is to sit face to face." He added, "To avoid anyone feeling blindsided, the new government must act neutrally and objectively."
Notably mentioning that he has met several times with business leaders, including the heads of large corporations, since taking office, President Lee stated, "Workers might think that in the past I was on their side, but now it seems like I am too much on the side of corporations." When attendees laughed at his remarks, President Lee responded, "But where would my allegiance be? We must ensure that everyone does well," adding, "I will truly listen to both of your opinions."
President Lee welcomed the decision of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) to participate in the National Assembly's social dialogue body for the first time in 26 years and repeatedly requested their return to the Economic, Social and Labor Council. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) has been absent since withdrawing from the council in 1999. However, on the 3rd, they stated that they would participate in the dialogue led by the National Assembly. The key issue is whether a compromise can be found between securing job stability, which the labor sector desires, and expanding labor flexibility, which the business sector demands.