President Lee Jae-myung met with employees at Samsung Electronics' Onyang Campus on November 12 to discuss the industry's shortage of skilled workers. When the issue of difficulty in finding plumbers arose, he instructed Chief of Staff Lim Kwang-hyun to develop a training plan.
According to a written briefing by Blue House spokesperson Kim Seong-wan, President Lee had lunch with nine employee representatives at the campus cafeteria following the fourth public-private joint inspection meeting for the mega project.
Attendees included Kim Joo-woo, the first master craftsman in HBM mass production, as well as personnel involved in system packaging production, semiconductor product defect analysis, advanced HBM research and development, process innovation, and long-serving working mothers.
During the lunch, President Lee, guided by Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, served himself food from the cafeteria and dined with the employees.
Chairman Lee remarked before the meal, "We have significantly reduced the time it takes to start construction, which usually takes over eight months, and today we held the groundbreaking ceremony. Since the President is personally overseeing the project in Gwangju, it seems to be progressing faster." President Lee praised Samsung's bold investments and execution capabilities.
After hearing Chairman Lee's explanation that employees with a high school diploma can become master craftsmen after more than 20 years of service, President Lee expressed interest in related systems. When Kim Joo-woo mentioned that high school graduates from Meister schools perform well and are adept at using artificial intelligence (AI), Chairman Lee explained that all Samsung employees receive AI training.
In response, President Lee noted that it would be beneficial for all citizens to receive AI training but mentioned that suitable locations and methods for such education are lacking.
As the lunch concluded, President Lee addressed the difficulty in finding skilled workers for plumbing at the construction site, instructing Chief of Staff Lim to explore solutions.
Light-hearted conversations also took place among the employees. One employee remarked, "I always thought of you as 'T,' but seeing 'President's Y' makes me think you're 'F.'" President Lee inquired about the difference between T and F. After finishing the meal, he asked, "Is the food always this delicious?" The employees replied, "Usually, it’s even better, but today it seems a bit lacking," eliciting laughter.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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