Kim Ji-hyeong, Chairperson of the presidential Economic, Social and Labor Council, said on the 22nd that whether the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) participates "cannot be an absolute precondition for newly starting social dialogue." He added, "There is a need to restart (social dialogue) within the existing tripartite framework, focusing on the actors who can participate now."
Kim is a labor law expert who served as a Supreme Court justice in 2005 under the Roh Moo-hyun administration. President Lee Jae-myung appointed Kim as Chairperson of the Economic, Social and Labor Council last month. Kim is the first council chairperson to come from the legal profession. Until now, bureaucrats, professors, or labor figures have mainly served as chairperson.
Kim held the first press briefing that day. Reporters asked, "Can social dialogue begin first without the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU)?" The KCTU withdrew from the Tripartite Commission, the predecessor to the council, in 1999 and has not participated in social dialogue to this day.
Kim said Korean society now faces a "crisis of complex great transition," and that the council's role is important to overcome it. He answered in the sense that, rather than waiting until the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) returns, it is important for stakeholders who can talk now to put their heads together first.
Kim said, "Even if it takes time, I expect the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) will join before long." He added, "If social dialogue can meet much of the public's expectations and proceed with sincerity, I expect the KCTU will participate."
Kim said he would go beyond "resuming" social dialogue to "restructuring" it. To that end, he said he would identify agenda items that resonate with the public at large, not just issues in the labor sector. He said, "Over the entire life cycle, we need to take a comprehensive look at how to maintain employment while addressing income stability, and we should put our heads together to figure out what measures could be put forward to solve this."
He also said he would introduce artificial intelligence (AI) into the deliberation process so more people can participate. Kim said, "For large topics, a representative panel of 500 citizens could go through a deliberation process, as in the public deliberation on the Shin Kori Nuclear Power Plant Units 5 and 6." He continued, "We plan to establish a public deliberation committee, consider various deliberation methods, and solicit citizens' opinions on the agenda itself."