The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) has launched a compulsory investigation into allegations that Hanwha Ocean sought to control or intervene in a labor union. The ministry holds special judicial police authority over cases that violate labor-related laws, including the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) Tongyeong Branch Office on the 13th deployed more than 30 investigators to conduct a search and seizure of the labor-management win-win cooperation headquarters and related departments at Hanwha Ocean's Geoje plant.
The investigation team reportedly focused on securing materials such as computer hard drives, various labor-related documents, and the so-called "labor management notebook" from offices including the labor-management cooperation team. At the Environment and Labor Committee's audit of government ministries last year, allegations were raised that the notebook contained indications that management supported or sought to intervene in a specific faction within the union.
Hanwha Ocean said, "The ministry is conducting an on-site inspection to verify the facts regarding the notebook kept by a labor management official that became an issue during the audit," adding, "We are cooperating as much as possible with the investigation."