Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Selected as the Best Labor-Management Culture Institution Awarded the Presidential Prize

Evaluation of Collaborative Labor-Management Relations Through Various Communication Channels and Feedback
Governor Kim: "Hope for Win-Win Labor Culture to Spread Throughout Gangwon Province"

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) announced on the 19th that Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province was selected for the highest award, the Presidential Award, in the evaluation of the Excellent Labor-Management Culture Administrative Agency Certification System hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

A view of the Gangwon Provincial Government Building. Photo by Gangwon Provincial Government

In this evaluation, Gangwon Province received high marks for building a cooperative labor-management relationship through various communication channels and feedback, such as holding labor-management councils and labor-management meetings, and the Provincial Innovation Promotion Team, where various generations voluntarily participate to discuss innovation across the entire provincial administration.

In particular, since taking office, Governor Kim Jin-tae has maintained communication by writing encouraging letters himself using the internal bulletin board during major and minor events and incidents such as the launch of the Special Self-Governing Province, the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games, and the Eulji Exercise. This communication method received positive responses from the judges. Recently, after sending the ninth encouragement letter, he has continued communication by picking fruits from the persimmon and quince trees at the official residence and sharing them with employees.

Additionally, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province set four core values jointly pursued by labor and management: ① a lively and healthy workplace ② productive organizational culture ③ improvement of public services ④ social responsibility, and based on these, made efforts to present and establish a desirable labor-management coexistence and cooperation model in the public sector, which was highly evaluated.

Gangwon Province was also recognized for excellence through unique labor-management cooperation projects that differentiate it from other institutions, such as the successful hosting of international events achieved through joint labor-management cooperation and participation, the nation’s first establishment of an on-site childcare center within the government building and its shared use with the local community, joint labor-management education to raise awareness of labor-management relations, creating a truly good workplace, promoting organizational culture innovation, and the joint labor-management empathy and communication camp.

The award ceremony will be held on December 4th at the Government Sejong Complex, where Gangwon Province will receive the Presidential Institutional Commendation along with the Excellent Labor-Management Culture Administrative Agency certification plaque and prize money.

Shin Sung-ho, Chairman of the Gangwon Provincial Government Employees’ Union, emphasized, “Sharing values with one heart and strengthening practical cooperation between labor and management seems to have led to this good result,” and added, “We will continue to do our best to create a healthy workplace through ongoing communication between labor and management.”

Governor Kim Jin-tae expressed his joy, saying, “This is the result of mutual respect and communication together,” and stated, “I hope that labor and management will actively cooperate in the future to improve employee rights and lead the development of Gangwon Province, and that a culture of coexistence and cooperation between labor and management will spread throughout Gangwon.”