Chairperson Kwon Ki-seop of the Economic, Social and Labor Committee noted on the 20th, "I believe we need to finalize the plan for continuous employment (extension of retirement age) by the end of April." This sets April as the deadline considering the schedule of the Continuous Employment Committee, which ends in June, amid the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) being in a social dialogue with labor, management and the government after the emergency martial law last December.
Chairperson Kwon held a press conference that afternoon at the Conference Room of the Economic, Social and Labor Committee in Jongno, Seoul, and said, "I requested the KCTU to clarify its position on how to resume the social dialogue, and they stated that they would inform us of the final decision by March."
He further stated, "The best scenario would be for the labor sector to participate, but I think it is important to find a resolution in some form, as we cannot disregard the committee's discussions so far." This indicates that he intends to reach a conclusion regardless of the labor sector's involvement in the social dialogue.
The Economic, Social and Labor Committee, which is an institution for social dialogue, formed the Continuous Employment Committee through a tripartite agreement in February last year. This aims to discuss measures for continuous employment, considering the reality of Korean society entering an 'ultra-aged society,' where the population ratio of those over 65 years old exceeds 20%.
Proposals for continuous employment include extending or abolishing the current retirement age of 60, as well as rehiring individuals after retirement. Currently, the labor sector holds the position that the retirement age should be legally extended, while the management sector argues that reemployment after retirement is preferable.
Despite holding over 10 plenary meetings amid differing stances between the labor and management sectors, no consensus has been reached. Following the emergency martial law situation last December, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions declared its refusal to participate in the committee, resulting in nearly three months without any discussions.
Chairperson Kwon stated, "If the KCTU does not participate in the social dialogue, I believe we should proceed by organizing and announcing the discussions centered on the public interest committee."
Chairperson Kwon also expressed regarding the recent suggestion by the Hyundai Motor labor union to the Economic, Social and Labor Committee about extending the retirement age, "I think it's a reasonable thing," adding, "Social dialogue is open to anyone, and everyone can express their opinions." Hyundai Motor is the largest chapter of the Metal Workers' Union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. However, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions has not participated in social dialogue for nearly 30 years.