Yoon calls for ending illegal actions at industrial sites

President Yoon Suk-yeol called Monday for ending illegal actions at industrial sites after being briefed on a strike by subcontract workers at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. (DSME), a presidential official said.

Yoon made the remark during a weekly meeting with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo shortly after Han convened an emergency meeting with relevant ministers to discuss measures to cope with the strike.

“President Yoon emphasized that the rule of law must be established and that illegal situations at industrial sites must be brought to an end,” the official told reporters.

Earlier in the day, the president gave similar instructions during a weekly meeting with his senior secretaries, asking relevant ministers to be more proactive about resolving the strike, given its enormous impact on the economy, the official added.

DSME has been plagued by the prolonged wildcat strike by subcontract workers, who have demanded higher wages while occupying the firm’s shipyard on Geoje Island, South Gyeongsang Province, since June 2.

Five ministers, including Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho and Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon, attended the emergency meeting, according to the prime minister’s office.

The five ministers are set to issue a joint statement on the strike at DSME later in the day.

They are expected to express concerns about damage caused by the strike and pledge that the government will firmly deal with the strike in accordance with laws and principles.