A civil trial related to Hanwha Ocean's 47 billion won damages lawsuit against five union officials belonging to the subcontractor workers' union was scheduled to take place this month but was postponed at the request of the company. It appears that the civil trial was postponed as discussions to withdraw the lawsuit are underway.
According to legal sources on the 16th, the hearing date for Hanwha Ocean's lawsuit claiming damages of approximately 47 billion won, which was set to take place in the Civil Division 1 of the Changwon District Court Tongyeong branch on the 17th, has been postponed to September 18. Hanwha Ocean submitted a request to the court on the 14th to postpone the hearing date for this lawsuit.
The subcontractor union conducted an illegal strike by occupying Hanwha Ocean's dock (shipbuilding facility) for 51 days starting on June 2, 2022, causing significant losses. Following this, a damages lawsuit was filed, and Hanwha has taken over the lawsuit, continuing the civil trial for several years.
As the relationship between the subcontractor and the primary contractor improved, it appears that Hanwha Ocean considered postponing the damages lawsuit. Last month, the subcontractor and the primary contractor reached an agreement on collective bargaining, and Kim Hyung-su, chairman of the shipbuilding subcontractor branch, descended from his elevated protest site after 97 days of sit-in.
A representative from Hanwha Ocean said, “Under current law, leaving the management losses caused by the strike unaddressed poses legal risks such as management breach of trust. We are persuading the board, including outside directors, that actions to promote labor-management harmony, such as withdrawing the lawsuit, will strengthen business competitiveness.”