Munsunghyun, Chairman of the Economic and Social Council, "Samsung Labor-Management Relations Must Be Good for Korea's Economy to Thrive"

Moon Sung-hyun, chairman of the Economic, Social and Labor Council (ESLC), is answering questions from reporters after visiting the funeral hall of Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee, set up at Samsung Seoul Hospital in Irwon-dong, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 27th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] Moon Sung-hyun, chairman of the Economic, Social and Labor Council (ESLC), met with reporters on the evening of the 27th at the funeral hall for Lee Kun-hee, chairman of Samsung Group, set up at Samsung Medical Center in Irwon-dong, Seoul, and stated, "I wanted to convey that we (Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong of Samsung Electronics and I) intend to newly develop the remaining labor-management relations."

Chairman Moon said, "In the past, Chairman Lee Kun-hee and I went through difficult situations from different perspectives, so we must show respect," adding, "The labor-management relationship at Samsung must be good for the Korean economy to do well."

Chairman Moon is a representative figure of the first generation of the Korean labor movement, having served as chairman of the Metal Workers' Federation under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and as leader of the Democratic Labor Party in 1999. In June, Samsung Group invited Chairman Moon to give a lecture to its executives. One month before inviting Chairman Moon, Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong of Samsung Electronics issued a "public apology" regarding issues such as management succession and labor unions.

Currently, among Samsung affiliates, unions under the KCTU are formed at Samsung Electronics Service, S-1 Corporation, and Samsung Engineering. Samsung Electronics, Samsung Display, and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance have unions under the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU).