Choi In-hyuk, the former Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Naver, has been appointed as the head of the newly established tech business institutional sector, leading to opposition from the labor union, which will conduct a total vote on 'support or opposition' regarding his return. Choi, who also held the position of CEO of Naver Financial, stepped down in 2021 due to moral responsibility after a workplace bullying incident led to an employee taking their own life.
On the 19th, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Naver branch announced that it will conduct a total vote among all union members regarding the return of the former COO. This is the first time that the Naver union has conducted a total vote involving all members beyond wage and collective bargaining issues. Voting will start on the 21st.
On that day, the Naver union staged a protest against the return of the former COO in the lobby of Naver 1784 building in Seongnam, stating he is responsible for the workplace bullying incident. Co-spokesperson Oh Se-yoon said, "Naver has grown through the dedication of thousands of members who quietly do their best, not by a few executives," and she added, "(The return of the former COO) is an act that betrays the trust of thousands of members and breaks the promise to prevent recurrence." The union plans to continue daily protest actions at noon. A rally opposing the former COO's return will also be held on the 27th.
Earlier, on the 15th, Naver announced the establishment of a tech business institutional sector directly under the CEO to explore new markets including India and Spain and to strengthen its competitiveness in the healthcare business, and appointed the former COO as the head of this institutional sector. Regarding the former COO, it stated, "He has been involved in development management since the early days of Naver's founding, possessing extensive successful experience and understanding across various areas from development to service operation, business, and management," adding, "He has laid the foundation for the company's growth by leading the acquisition of essential technical capabilities for strengthening search services, improving operational efficiency, and developing competitive advertising products for domestic and international business success."