Major public agencies under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport are grappling with labor disputes and leadership vacancies. The Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) and the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) are facing strike threats, while the Housing and Urban Guarantee Corporation (HUG) is once again without a leader, raising concerns over the government's railway operations and housing supply policies.
According to reports from the Ministry and labor representatives on November 12, the National Railway Workers' Union held a press conference at Seoul Station the previous day, announcing plans for an indefinite strike starting at 9 a.m. on December 10.
The union is demanding a fair promotion system, increased safety personnel, and improved working conditions, citing limited promotion opportunities for on-site workers and a shortage of safety staff. They specifically argue for increasing the number of workers responsible for track inspections from two to three, including a train observer. If an agreement is not reached, there are concerns that train operations could be disrupted.
LH is also facing the possibility of its first strike since its establishment. The LH labor and management teams held their third round of negotiations on November 10, lasting about two hours, but failed to reach an agreement on most key demands. Despite three rounds of negotiations over the past 40 days since the first talks in September, the two sides have not narrowed their differences.
The core issue of the conflict is the government's plan to reorganize LH. The union is demanding job security measures and specific personnel management plans related to the restructuring. However, management has withheld responses on key issues such as the selection of affiliated organizations and transfer and exchange systems, citing the ongoing development of reform proposals by the Ministry.
The LH union has requested the Ministry to establish a labor-management council four times but has not received a response. They have urged a written reply by November 17, warning that if no response is received by the deadline, they will escalate their actions by urging the National Assembly's standing committee to intervene and collaborating with the public sector joint task force of the two major labor unions.
If there is no progress in further negotiations, the union plans to apply for labor dispute mediation with the Central Labor Relations Commission next month. If the government announces reform proposals without consulting the union, it may expedite their response timeline. A strike would mark the first since LH's inception in 2009.
LH is currently accelerating major national projects, including an additional investment of 2 trillion won in the Gwangmyeong-Siheung public housing district and the Yongin semiconductor national industrial complex. They plan to invest 1.3 trillion won in Gwangmyeong-Siheung and 700 billion won in the Yongin semiconductor complex to expedite compensation and subsequent processes. As the government pushes for expanded housing supply in the metropolitan area and infrastructure for advanced industries, prolonged labor disputes could complicate the management of these key projects.
Meanwhile, HUG is facing the challenge of a leadership vacancy after former President Choi In-ho was appointed as the Chief of Staff to the President on November 6, just 10 months into his tenure. Since November 9, HUG has been operating under the acting leadership of Choi Jong-won, head of the management strategy division.
HUG had previously operated under an acting leadership system for about six months after the resignation of former President Yoo Byeong-tae in June last year. Although a new president was appointed to normalize operations, the agency is once again facing a leadership gap less than a year later.
The appointment of a successor requires the formation of a recommendation committee, candidate solicitation, and review processes, which could prolong the vacancy. HUG is responsible for key tasks related to stabilizing the housing market, including lease deposit return guarantees and housing project financial guarantees. A prolonged leadership vacancy could hinder decision-making and implementation of major policy initiatives.
The simultaneous occurrence of labor disputes and leadership vacancies at major public agencies under the Ministry is raising concerns about policy execution as the year comes to a close. However, as no work stoppages have occurred yet due to strikes, the outcomes of upcoming labor negotiations and the appointment of a new leader will be critical factors moving forward.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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