Kim Young-hoon vows active guidance on Posco wage talks, strict action over Sinansan line deaths

Employment and Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon said Tuesday he would actively guide wage negotiations at Posco, where a partial strike is ongoing, and would visit the site if necessary to seek a resolution. On the Sinansan line railway construction site — a Posco Group project where fatal worker accidents have recurred — he said the ministry would take strict action against anyone found to have violated the law, regardless of their position.

Kim made the remarks at a national audit of the Ministry of Employment and Labor by the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee, responding to a question from People Power Party lawmaker Lee Heon-seung about the government's response to the Posco partial strike. "The Ministry of Employment and Labor will actively guide the negotiations," Kim said.

He said the regional labor office had visited the site 13 times to conduct mediation sessions, but the dispute remained unresolved. He cited difficulties in negotiations with the primary contractor's union over the direct employment of subcontractor workers, as well as a union leadership election, as factors behind the delays.

Kim said working-level labor-management talks had taken place that day and that full negotiations were scheduled for Wednesday.

On the direct-employment dispute, he said tensions existed not only with the primary contractor's union but also with second- and third-tier suppliers whose workers had been excluded from direct employment. "We will encourage the regional labor office and, if necessary, visit the site ourselves to actively seek a resolution," he said.

On the repeated fatal accidents at the Sinansan line railway construction site, Kim said the ministry was "closely examining whether the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and other relevant laws have been violated," adding that "if any violations are confirmed, we will take strict action regardless of the person's position."

He also said he understood that five cases involving labor inspectors — who hold special judicial police authority — were currently being contested on charges of distorting the law in connection with their investigations and law enforcement activities.