President Moon Jae-in met the general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation(ITUC) at the presidential office. The meeting is seen as an unprecedented change after President Moon taking office on May 10 in that President Moon invited ITUC chief, Sharon Burrow who is currently visiting Korea to his office.

According to the labor circle, the meeting between President Moon and Sharon Burrow continued for an hour without any attendee in the afternoon of May 30. ITUC general secretary reportedly requested President Moon that the Korean government ratify ILO Convention No.87 and Convention No.98 which guarantee the workers to form and join trade unions. Legal recognition issues of teachers union and government employees union are related to the ratification of these two conventions.

They also reportedly discussed the issues of the minimum wage hike and chaebol reforms, and Sharon Burrow also appealed to President Moon to set free the imprisoned KCTU president Han Sang-gyun and to take appropriate relief measures for the union officers on the wanted list.

reported by Je Jeong-nam
translated by Kim Sung-jin