Woo Won-sik Visits Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, Urges "Participation in Social Dialogue Through the National Assembly"

On the 21st, Speaker of the National Assembly Woo Won-sik visited the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and proposed a new model of social dialogue through the National Assembly, requesting KCTU's participation.

According to KCTU on the day, Speaker Woo, along with Park Ju-min, Chair of the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee, and Ahn Ho-young, Chair of the Environment and Labor Committee, visited KCTU and held a meeting with Chairman Yang Kyung-soo and other executives.

Speaker Woo Won-shik visited the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) on the 21st and held a meeting with KCTU representatives. Speaker Woo and KCTU Chairman Yang Kyung-soo are shaking hands while posing for a commemorative photo. Photo by Huh Young-han younghan@

At the meeting, Speaker Woo said, "I visited to ask KCTU to become a new partner for social dialogue and to join hands with me for social dialogue," adding, "I intend to propose a new model for revitalizing social dialogue to KCTU."

He continued, "Our social dialogue has been difficult to maintain stably as its tone and content changed with past regime changes," and emphasized, "Now, I believe the National Assembly should be reborn as a platform for socio-economic dialogue, continuing various discussions on labor, environment, and industrial transition as a new future model of dialogue."

Speaker Woo stated, "I think KCTU shares the same direction with me in wanting to resolve conflicts and prepare for the future through social dialogue," and said, "Only by gathering new strength for social innovation and economic development through social dialogue can the Republic of Korea overcome the current crisis and properly respond to the future."

In response, Chairman Yang Kyung-soo said, "KCTU is not unilaterally rejecting social dialogue," and added, "It is important to create proper conditions and channels for dialogue to build trust. If we can create a pattern of resolving entangled conflicts even in small areas and build trust based on that, we will be able to sustain continuous dialogue in the long term."

Meanwhile, KCTU has not participated in social dialogue since withdrawing from the Tripartite Commission, the predecessor of the Economic, Social and Labor Council, in 1999. Currently, the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) represents the labor sector in the Economic, Social and Labor Council.