Kim Shin, director of the Pohang city government's Employment and Economy Bureau, briefs reporters at City Hall on Tuesday morning about the city's response to the Posco union's planned second partial strike. [Photo by Kim Byung-jin]
Kim Shin, director of the Pohang city government's Employment and Economy Bureau, briefs reporters at City Hall on Tuesday morning about the city's response to the Posco union's planned second partial strike. [Photo by Kim Byung-jin]

The city of Pohang is mounting an emergency response to limit the economic fallout from a second partial strike announced by the Posco union.

Kim Shin, director of the city's Employment and Economy Bureau, held a press briefing Tuesday morning at City Hall. He said the city would "respect labor and management's autonomous negotiations and resolution" but was "closely monitoring the situation to prevent the labor-management conflict from spreading into broader damage to the local economy, including subcontractors, employment and commercial districts."

Kim said the city would "swiftly activate corporate, employment and livelihood support measures if the strike is prolonged."

According to the city, the Posco union carried out a 48-hour first partial strike from Wednesday to Thursday of last week and has since announced a second partial strike of 120 hours beginning Wednesday.

Pohang city said it would continuously monitor the impact on Posco's production and shipments, as well as the operations and management conditions of subcontractors, employment, logistics and local commercial activity.

"If disruptions to subcontractors' operations or financial difficulties materialize, we plan to provide swift support by linking existing corporate support programs, including emergency management stabilization funds and special guarantees," Kim said. He added that the city would shift to a joint public-private emergency response framework if the situation worsens into a full strike.

Kim said the city would maintain its emergency posture to prevent damage from spreading to local businesses and ordinary residents amid a slowdown in the steel industry and the ongoing labor-management dispute. "We will also strengthen communication with the local community to help bring about an early settlement at the bargaining table," he said.


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