Democratic Party: "Ssangyong Motor, Keep Social Promise to Assign Laid-off Workers to Departments"

Lee In-young, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the 7th and delivering a speech. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] Lee Jae-jung, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, stated in a briefing on the 8th, "Ssangyong Motor must keep the promise of social grand compromise."

He pointed out that although the reinstatement of a large number of laid-off workers at Ssangyong Motor was achieved through a social grand compromise last September, the promise to reinstate all laid-off workers by the end of last month has not been fulfilled.

The spokesperson criticized, "The laid-off workers were unilaterally notified by the management on Christmas Eve of an 'indefinite paid leave' due to management difficulties. This is a cruel decision for workers who have waited for 11 years and an irresponsible act that ignores social agreement."

He continued, "Yesterday, the first day back at the factory for Ssangyong Motor workers, returning after 11 years of the incident, inevitably ended in tears," and urged, "Ssangyong Motor must immediately cancel the unilateral notice that nullifies the previous efforts made together by labor, the Metal Workers' Union, and the Economic and Social Labor Committee, reinstate the laid-off workers, and implement the original social agreement through department assignments and other measures."

Regarding the detention warrant review for six members of the Coast Guard command, including then-Commissioner Kim Seok-gyun, he said, "The warrant, which should have been issued immediately after April 16, 2014, was requested only after a staggering 5 years and 9 months. It is heartbreaking and bitter."

He added, "The special investigation team must use this warrant review as an opportunity to thoroughly reveal to the public not only the responsibility of the Coast Guard command for the Sewol ferry rescue failure but also why the prosecution's investigation was delayed for so long to cover up something, as well as the suspicions of investigation interference by the Blue House and the Ministry of Justice at the time."

Last November, the prosecution launched a special investigation team to fully reinvestigate the Sewol ferry disaster, stating, "We will thoroughly investigate all raised suspicions with the mindset of writing a white paper so that this investigation can be the last."