Seoul, May 1: South Korean President Lee Jae-myung made a significant announcement regarding workplace safety during the Labor Day celebrations at Cheong Wa Dae on Friday. He stated, “I will make no compromises and offer no concessions on workplace safety,” pledging to create a “normal” country where no worker needs to risk their life on the job.
He emphasized that “the safety of workers is the most fundamental responsibility of any nation and any business.” According to a report by the Yonhap News Agency, the president also rejected the notion that worker welfare and business development are mutually exclusive, stressing that both are interdependent.
“We can only move forward by freeing ourselves from the outdated belief that being pro-business means being anti-worker,” he said, adding, “The future of development lies in having workers stand behind it.”
Amid rising concerns about the threat of artificial intelligence (AI) to jobs, the president sought to reassure the public that the government prioritizes people over productivity. He remarked, “As technology advances, the prevailing perception is that AI-driven machines will largely replace human labor. However, it is not right to demand sacrifices from workers in the name of productivity,” asserting that development that leaves workers behind is not true progress.
Lee referred to workers as the “backbone of the economy,” who smoothly operate the economy at the grassroots level and drive spending that fuels growth.
This was the first time Labor Day celebrations were held at Cheong Wa Dae, with nearly 130 participants, including key figures from labor, management, and government, as well as workers from various industries. Notably, it was also the first occasion that two major labor unions—the Federation of Korean Trade Unions and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, which are politically divergent—participated in such an event.
Initially, May 1 was celebrated as ‘Labor Day’ in South Korea, which was changed to ‘Workers Day’ in 1963. Last year, the government reverted it back to ‘Labor Day’ and declared it a national holiday earlier this year.
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