Kang Gijeong and Kumho Tire Union Join Forces to Resolve 'Factory Relocation' Issue

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Kang Ki-jung, the Democratic Party of Korea's preliminary candidate for mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, is accelerating efforts to resolve major pending issues in Gwangju, including the relocation of the Kumho Tire factory.

Candidate Kang previously met several times with the Kumho Tire labor and management to discuss the factory relocation issue and labor-management coexistence solutions. On the afternoon of the 14th, he signed a joint action agreement with the Kumho Tire labor union.

This agreement ceremony is interpreted as a swift move following Candidate Kang's declaration to break through the stalled Gwangju issues such as the military airport relocation and Eodeungsan development with rapid momentum.

The relocation of the Gwangju factory has long been a local community's wish and is considered an essential task for the normalization of Kumho Tire's management.

The main contents of the agreement include ▲ sharing information on the relocation of the Kumho Tire Gwangju factory ▲ preventing the largest shareholder, the Chinese tire company Double Star, from evading responsibility ▲ creating new jobs through sustainable development ▲ guaranteeing employment for all members in case of factory relocation ▲ forming a task force (TF) ▲ contributing to the local community.

Im Gil-taek, head of the Kumho Tire representative branch, said, “The labor union and the company have repeatedly requested discussions with Gwangju City to resolve the issue, but it has not been resolved. This agreement is a starting point to solve the stalled problem of relocating the Gwangju factory.”

Candidate Kang said, “The relocation of the Gwangju factory is a long-standing wish of the citizens and a sincere hope of Kumho Tire members. It is a time when the confident and swift leadership of Kang Ki-jung is needed more than anything to resolve the long-standing conflict and open a new era for Gwangju.”

He added, “If I become the mayor in the 8th local election, I will share information and cooperate with the labor union, management, and related organizations to quickly solve the problem. While moving in a direction where both Gwangju and Kumho Tire can coexist and develop, I will definitely return the factory site, which spans 120,000 pyeong, to the citizens' hands.”