[Changing the World M]⑤ "Will Fight If Necessary... If the Labor Sector Changes, the Management Sector Must Follow"

Interview with Yoo Junhwan, Saerogochim Chairman
Worries about Being Disliked by the Company Before Union Formation
Company Changed After Union Formation... Wage Increase Rate Rose
Drawn the Line on Hardline Struggle but 'Will Fight if Necessary'
If Saerogochim Brings Change, Management and Government Must Collaborate

"If a refresh is needed, we can take to the struggle. The management remains the same, and if only the labor side gives up their rights, proper change cannot be achieved. If Saerogochim works to create gradual change, the management must also adapt accordingly, and the government should effectively mediate between them."

Yoo Junhwan, chairman of Saerogochim (33), who played a major role in establishing LG Electronics' first office worker labor union and launching the Saerogochim Workers' Council?commonly called the 'MZ (Millennial + Generation Z) Union'?spoke about the future direction of Saerogochim's labor movement. Unlike the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), Saerogochim was founded with a policy of avoiding political activities and indiscriminate hardline struggles, but Yoo explained that this does not mean a 'complete abandonment of struggle.' In a situation where conflicts between the government and labor are escalating to extremes, this implies that efforts are needed not only from labor but also from the government and management.

Founded Union at Age 28... 3,000 Members Joined Within a Month

Yoo initiated the establishment of the first in-house office worker union, the 'People-Centered Union,' in 2021 during his fourth year at LG Electronics. Starting with just four members, half with enthusiasm and half with concern, the union grew into the Saerogochim Council with 8,000 members in just two years, extending beyond LG Electronics. Although still lacking significantly in membership, influence, and bargaining rights compared to KCTU and the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), the founding purpose of separating labor movements from politics and hardline struggles has gained strong sympathy, attracting high interest from the government, political circles, and the public recently.

The reason Yoo pushed for the union's establishment was the company's indifference toward employees. Despite LG Electronics achieving 'record-breaking' performance in 2020, the management set absurdly low performance bonuses, claiming "the market was good, not because of employees' efforts," which sparked widespread dissatisfaction among workers. Yoo said, "There was no proper performance bonus standard from the start. The company treated employees as if they were nothing. That's why I felt an office worker union was necessary."

Yoo Jun-hwan, chairman of the Saerogochim Laborers' Association, is being interviewed by Asia Economy. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@

Among approximately 40,000 employees at LG Electronics, about 30,000 are office workers, but a proper office worker union had never been formed before. Since company evaluations directly affect wages, leading the union establishment carried too much risk. Yoo was not without concerns. He said, "I worried that if I formed a union, the company might dislike me and I might not be able to continue working there," but added, "If someone had to step up, I thought it was better for me, who had no family and relatively fewer years of service, to take the chance."

It took only one week from announcing the intention to form a union on the anonymous workplace app 'Blind' to submitting the union registration certificate. He said, "Since a union requires executives, I gathered three more people and simultaneously posted on Blind, 'If fewer than 500 people want to join in a week, we won't proceed.' Fortunately, over 900 people expressed willingness to join after a week, and 3,000 joined within a month."

Wage Increase Rate Doubled After Office Worker Union Formation

Since the office worker union was formed, the company's attitude toward employees has changed significantly over the past two years. Yoo said, "The atmosphere has definitely changed a lot. After the union was established, the company tries to be cautious in all matters and informs employees when there are changes to labor management systems." He added, "CEO talks and town hall meetings were newly introduced, and performance bonus standards were established after the union formation. Notably, the average wage increase rate, which was around 3-4%, has roughly doubled."

However, LG Electronics' main bargaining union is the FKTU, so the role of the new union remains limited. When the FKTU, which mainly represents production workers, negotiates with management, it receives demands from the office worker union but does not allow their participation in the negotiation process, so they have no way of knowing how negotiations proceed. The labor-management council, which could better reflect office workers' opinions, is largely ineffective at LG Electronics. Yoo said, "Our demands are often not included in the primary union's initial demands, and even if they are, if the primary union says 'we tried but failed,' there's nothing we can do."

Yoo Jun-hwan, Chairman of the Saerogochim Laborers' Association. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@

'Beyond the MZ Union, Representing as Many Workers as Possible'

Since its launch in February, Saerogochim has grown from 6,000 members across 8 unions to 8,000 members across 13 unions. Among the 13 union chairpersons, 10 are in their 30s. As a young organization, it features a more horizontal culture compared to KCTU and FKTU. Yoo said, "We opposed giving the chairman special authority, and everyone agreed on this, so the chairman has no power except being a representative. Among chairpersons, regardless of union size, each union has one voice in a direct democracy structure."

Yoo opposes the label 'MZ Union' for Saerogochim. Although members in their 20s and 30s constitute the majority, about 45% of members in the LG Electronics People-Centered Union are in their 40s and 50s, reflecting a diverse age range. Yoo's goal is for the union to grow beyond the 'MZ Union' perception to represent more workers (and prospective workers), including those in small businesses, SMEs, special employment workers, and job seekers.

He emphasized, "Rather than surpassing KCTU by membership numbers, I believe we should become a labor organization that embraces everyone. Currently, unionization is only about 14%, and many workers remain unorganized. Saerogochim aims to represent not just a few unions from large or public enterprises but as many workers' voices as possible."

"KCTU Must Move Beyond the Past... Management and Government Also Need to Change"

Regarding the KCTU, which continues a radical struggle stance, Yoo said it needs to change in line with the times. He said, "The legitimacy of a union comes from the workers. If a union moves into non-labor issues, public opinion may misunderstand the purpose of the labor movement. Although KCTU has historically changed and achieved a lot, it must continuously question whether its existing methods remain valid."

Yoo explained that while Saerogochim draws the line at political struggles unrelated to work environments, it does not mean they will avoid struggles related to labor issues altogether. He said, "If Saerogochim takes a step toward change, management and the government should also show signs of gradual change. If management remains the same and only labor refrains from hardline struggles, we need to think about how to effectively voice workers' concerns. Management must change significantly, and the government should mediate well between them."