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| Unionzied workers at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering chant during a press conference at the Korean Metal Workers' Union (KMWU) headquarters in Seoul, Sept. 27, to protest Korea Development Bank's decision to sell the shipbuilder to Hanwha Group. Yonhap |
By Park Jae-hyuk
Korea Development Bank (KDB) expressed concerns over Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering's (DSME) unionized workers, who have requested that the shipbuilder's incumbent management remain in place following an imminent ownership change.
The workers aimed the request at Hanwha Group, which is set to become DSME's largest shareholder.
"The DSME union's request could cause a serious setback to our attempt to attract investments," KDB said in a statement, Saturday. "The union should retract its unreasonable request immediately."
The state-run lender, which currently controls the cash-strapped shipbuilder, issued the statement a day after JoongAng Ilbo reported that the union's leaders decided in last Tuesday's meeting to make the request.
Citing documents given by Rep. Lee Joo-hwan of the ruling People Power Party, the local newspaper raised speculation that DSME's union is trying to defend CEO Park Du-seon, who was embroiled in a political controversy earlier this year due to his relationship with former President Moon Jae-in.
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| President Moon Jae-in, front row center, listens to Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) CEO Park Du-seon, left, who was managing director at that time, at DSME's Okpo shipyard on Geoje Island in South Gyeongsang Province, in this 2018 file photo. Joint Press Corps |
Both Park and the former president's younger brother, Moon Jae-ik, entered Korea Maritime & Ocean University in 1978, so President Yoon Suk-yeol's transition committee alleged that the DSME CEO took advantage of his friendship with the former president's younger brother.
The previous administration, however, denied the transition committee's claim at that time, saying that the new government must be interested in the DSME CEO seat.
Rep. Lee said that DSME's labor and management should clarify their relationship.
In response, the union claimed in Saturday's press release that the news report was misleading.
"The documents were written when we were preparing for countermeasures against possible privatization scenarios, before the KDB announced its plan to sell DSME to Hanwha," the union said. "In the preliminary draft of the documents, we decided just to ask Hanwha not to dismiss the incumbent management, because the conglomerate lacks experience in shipbuilding."
The unionized workers stressed that they do not have any intention to defend the incumbent management, saying that they are also aware that management is responsible for the strike of subcontracted workers earlier this year.
