Lee Jung-mi "POSCO International Employees Commuting to Seoul Goes Against the Era of Regional Balanced Development"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] Lee Jeong-mi, the Justice Party candidate for Incheon mayor, criticized on the 17th the media report that about 250 employees of POSCO International commute to Seoul instead of the Incheon headquarters, calling it "a step backward in the era of balanced regional development."

Jeongmi Lee, former leader of the Justice Party, is declaring her candidacy for Incheon mayor at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 19th. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

On the same day, Lee said in a press release, "POSCO needs to clearly declare to the local community its plan to maintain the Songdo headquarters while contributing to the local economy."

Although the company explained that some employees commuting to Seoul is for "improving work efficiency and enhancing activity," Lee explained that the Incheon local community is expressing concerns that this gradual move might eventually lead to the relocation of the headquarters.

Lee stated, "POSCO's current move is naturally seen as a prelude to gradually leaving Incheon, not just limited to 250 employees," emphasizing, "The current concentration of companies in Seoul is already saturated."

She further warned that POSCO, which has gained enormous corporate profits in the Incheon area, should strengthen its contributions to the economic development of Incheon and its citizens, and that plans such as corporate relocation are acts that go against the era of balanced regional development.

Meanwhile, POSCO International cautioned against overinterpretation regarding reports about employees of the Steel Division 1, who used to work at the Incheon headquarters, commuting to Seoul.

The company explained, "The Seoul work of some employees means opening additional smart offices and creating conditions to selectively work at customer contact points in line with the trend of expanding distributed and hybrid work among companies," adding, "Since the Songdo building is still maintained, it does not mean leaving Incheon or relocating the headquarters to Seoul."