[President Yoon's 100-Day Press Conference] "Labor-Management Issues, Law and Principles Are Important... Government Analyzes Causes of Disputes and Prepares Alternatives"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] On the 17th, marking 100 days since his inauguration, President Yoon Suk-yeol reiterated his stance that "the principle of consistently upholding the law and principles, regardless of labor or management, is important."

At his first press conference held in the briefing room of the Yongsan Presidential Office on the same day, President Yoon responded to a question asking, "The intensity of struggles led by some labor unions is increasing, and the president has always emphasized law and principles. There are concerns that this could escalate into a strong confrontation. Do you have any alternative plans?"

President Yoon first stated, "The labor movement in industrial sites becoming illegally militant beyond the scope of the law is not a problem that can be solved at once with any single alternative plan," adding, "I believe it is something that can be resolved as a culture of consistently maintaining predictable and consistent principles takes root."

President Yoon further emphasized the importance of maintaining consistent law and principles regardless of labor or management, stating, "I believe it is important for the government to continuously express its position so that such consistent principles of the government can be accepted in the market."

Regarding the forecast that law and principles might lead to a strong confrontation, he countered, "The current labor law system we have is a system created through public consensus as a fundamental solution to labor-management conflicts and issues, so saying 'the law is not important' or 'problems cannot be solved by law alone' makes problem-solving difficult."

He continued, "Rather than immediately deploying public authority to suppress situations when violations of the law occur, I think a culture should be established where time is first given for dialogue and compromise, and only when that fails, matters are handled according to the law," emphasizing the importance of the government's consistent application of law and principles.

Just before the press conference ended, President Yoon also expressed the view that the government should work together on accurate analysis of the causes of labor disputes and the preparation of alternatives. President Yoon explained, "In the case of the recent subcontractor union strike, I think it is important to fundamentally consider and create alternatives together regarding whether the wages and labor compensation of these workers are fair, as well as the issue of polarization in the labor market."