Naver Union Requests Major Shareholder National Pension Service to Dismiss CEO Choi In-hyuk

The Naver Employees' Union Joint Statement held an online collective action event, the "Naver REBOOT Cultural Festival," on the afternoon of the 9th in the lobby on the first floor of Naver Headquarters Green Factory located in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Joint Statement Provided

[Asia Economy Reporter Bu Aeri] The Naver labor union recently requested the National Pension Service to initiate the dismissal of Choi In-hyuk, CEO of Naver Financial, in connection with an employee who experienced workplace harassment and made an extreme choice.

On the 9th, the Naver union issued a 'joint statement' and took online collective action to expose the power abuse by executive A and mourn the deceased.

The union plans to conduct a signature campaign and request the National Pension Service, which holds the largest stake in Naver, to activate the 'Stewardship Code' and propose the dismissal of CEO Choi at an extraordinary shareholders' meeting.

CEO Choi had previously taken moral responsibility and stepped down from his position as Naver's Chief Operating Officer (COO) but still retains his role as head of the subsidiary.

Branch Chief Oh Se-yoon stated, "We will carry out various activities to establish a labor-management committee with equal representation to address workplace harassment, reduce and systematize the personnel evaluation authority concentrated in organizational leaders, reform the compensation structure that only deepens opaque discrimination, normalize upward evaluations, and create leadership that respects the opinions of members."

Additional testimony from Park Jae-woo, Naver union's organization director, followed that day. Director Park said, "Last year, I was assigned to the notorious 'that person’s' direct organization along with the deceased and suffered from severe depression."

Meanwhile, a man in his 40s who worked in Naver's map organization was found dead near his home close to Naver's headquarters in Bundang-gu, Seongnam City, on May 25. A note presumed to have been left by the deceased was found at the scene, which reportedly contained content about the stress he experienced at work.

The company conducted a fact-finding investigation through an internal audit specialist firm, and the Ministry of Employment and Labor is also conducting a special labor inspection of Naver.