[Herald DB]
[Herald DB]

Homeplus announced Thursday that it had closed its voluntary redundancy application window ahead of schedule.

"We had been accepting applications within the originally announced period, but we closed the voluntary redundancy window early due to the large number of employees who applied," the company said.

Homeplus opened applications on Oct. 7 and had planned to accept them through Oct. 22. The window closed Wednesday — eight days in — after applications surged beyond expectations.

The redundancy package covers unpaid wages, a chuseok bonus and severance pay, with no additional consolation payment. Despite the limited terms, the number of applicants appears to have grown as concerns mounted over the company's ability to return to normal operations.

Homeplus has been struggling to stabilize its business after sales fell short of targets. Its efforts to sell off the hypermarket division have also run into trouble, with no prospective buyers found.


soho0902@heraldcorp.com