'All options open, including a name change,' commission chief says; KCTU to decide on return Wednesday

Kim Ji-hyung, chairman of the Economic, Social and Labor Council [Newsis]
Kim Ji-hyung, chairman of the Economic, Social and Labor Council [Newsis]

Economic, Social and Labor Council Chairman Kim Ji-hyung said Tuesday the commission is fully prepared to begin close consultations with representatives of labor, management and government at any time, expressing hope that the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions would join the social dialogue process.

The KCTU is set to hold a delegates' assembly Wednesday to decide whether to return to social dialogue for the first time in 27 years. Amid the anticipation, the council said it is open to a broad range of reforms — including consensus-based operations, guaranteed participation for industry-level unions, and even a change to the commission's name.

Kim made the remarks at a briefing of the Special Committee on Demographic Change and Employment held Tuesday at the council's offices in Jongno-gu, Seoul, when asked about the possibility of the KCTU rejoining the social dialogue framework. "It cannot be denied that many difficult problems have piled up that must be resolved through dialogue," he said.

He added that there is a social demand for labor to participate in social dialogue as a unified force and help resolve those issues. "I expect there will be a wise judgment that responds to that call," he said.

The KCTU has not participated in the council's social dialogue since withdrawing from its predecessor body, the Labor-Management-Government Commission, in February 1999. With only the Federation of Korean Trade Unions currently taking part, questions about the adequacy of labor's representation at the council have persisted.

The KCTU will decide at Wednesday's delegates' assembly whether to return to social dialogue. The confederation has presented three conditions for participation: consensus-based operations, guaranteed participation for industry-level unions, and a change to the council's name.

In this regard, Kim said improvements to the council's operations extend beyond the three conditions the KCTU proposed, noting that academics, practitioners and staff within the commission have also reviewed potential changes. "We will discuss this in a way that listens carefully to and fully respects the views of the labor, management and government participants," he said.

Kim also left the door open to changing the commission's name. "We are keeping everything on the table, including a name change," he said, while noting that adopting a consensus model, allowing industry-level union participation and changing the name would all require legislative amendments.

The council is also pursuing a broader overhaul of the social dialogue framework itself — a concept it calls "Social Dialogue 2.0," which would go beyond the traditional labor-management-government format to allow ordinary citizens to take part in setting the agenda and in deliberative discussions.

"It is true that while the history of labor-management-government social dialogue has continued for nearly 30 years, we have also experienced many limitations," Kim said. "Social Dialogue 2.0, which I proposed at the launch of the first session of the council under the new government, is an attempt to explore a form of social dialogue in which the public participates in a way that enhances its effectiveness."

The council also released Tuesday the results of a public deliberation process that the Special Committee on Demographic Change and Employment conducted with ordinary citizens from July. Kim said the exercise showed that "citizens clearly recognized that employment issues stemming from demographic change cannot be resolved through piecemeal measures such as simply adjusting the retirement age or the number of young people hired."

He added that employment issues are closely intertwined with intergenerational relations, organizational culture, job roles and compensation, education and training, child and elder care, and regional employment. "It is necessary to redesign the employment ecosystem itself to match the changing demographic structure," he said.


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