On 2nd, the Naver labor union announced that it plans to send an official document and an open letter urging the dismissal of Choi In-hyuk, the representative of the technological institutional sector, to the board of directors and the National Pension Service, respectively. Additionally, the union has announced regular monthly meetings starting from August.
According to this agreement, the Naver branch will hold its third rally and stated that it will hold the board accountable with shareholder authority. Major demands include: △ stopping the identification of whistleblowers △ disclosing the circumstances of the materials prepared for Choi's return and the board meeting minutes △ calling for the dismissal of Choi. This official document is expected to be delivered to the board.
The union also plans to send an open letter to the largest shareholder, the National Pension Service, demanding the dismissal of Choi and Byun Dae-kyu, the former chairman of the board, while requesting the convening of an extraordinary shareholders' meeting. Oh Se-yoon, the branch president, said, "Byun Dae-kyu has the greatest responsibility for actively assisting Choi's return" and stated that he would request an extraordinary shareholders' meeting for the dismissal of both individuals.
Representative Choi In-hyuk stepped down from his position as Chief Operating Officer after a staff member died due to workplace harassment in 2021, taking moral responsibility. Subsequently, the board held an informal briefing about two months before Choi's return in March 2024. Byun Dae-kyu, who was the chairman of the board at that time, also played a significant role in this context.
The union claims that the board held a briefing the day after the second rally opposing Choi's return on June 12th, alleging that the board unilaterally created a platform that only represented Choi's position.
Additionally, 23 branches including Kakao, HANCOM, and Nexon Neople branch participated in solidarity in this rally. The number of participants was around 200. The Korean Chemical, Textile & Food Workers’ Union (KCTFU) demanded a reform of the organizational culture in the IT industry and the resignation of Choi, asking for a response from Han Seong-suk, the former CEO of Naver, who was nominated as the Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups. Han, who appeared as a witness at the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee audit in 2021, mentioned, "I will take responsibility where I should."
The union is demanding a clear response regarding Han's stance on Choi's return and the validity period of responsibility. Additionally, starting next month, the Naver union plans to hold cultural events in the form of rallies on the first Wednesday of every month and has announced a separate rally on August 11th due to the breakdown of wage and collective bargaining agreements for six corporations.
Five Naver subsidiaries, including EnTech Services, NIT Services, Green Web Services, Incoms, and ComPartners, are conducting partial strikes due to the breakdown of labor-management negotiations and plan to hold a rally at 1784.