Eugene chief rushes to soothe YTN union, gets rejected

YTN union members speak to reporters at the network’s headquarters in Seoul after issuing a statement rejecting a meeting request from Eugene Group Chairman Yoo Kyung-sun. / Yonhap News

Following a court ruling that deemed the change in YTN’s largest shareholder to Eugene Group unlawful, Chairman Yoo Kyung-sun has moved swiftly in an apparent attempt to salvage his position. Yoo recently visited the office of the YTN branch of the National Union of Mediaworkers and requested a meeting, but the union refused.

In a statement released on December 4, the YTN union disclosed details of Yoo’s roughly 30-minute visit and made clear that it would not accept his proposal for dialogue.

According to the union, Yoo arrived at the office on the morning of December 1 when most of the full-time union officials were out for external engagements. The union said it asked him to “come back another time,” but Yoo insisted he “had to meet before leaving” and remained for half an hour. During the visit, Yoo suggested arranging a separate session for talks with the union.

The union, however, said dialogue at this stage was meaningless and that it held no trust in Eugene Group. It reiterated its long-standing demand that Yoo relinquish his stake and exit the company. The union said Yoo made remarks such as, “If even one YTN employee wants to talk, we should do it,” “Let’s have a dialogue with all union members participating,” and “If it’s a one-on-one meeting with the branch chief, let’s livestream it on YouTube so everyone can watch.”

In its statement, the YTN union firmly rejected the overture, saying, “Since the court has already ruled that Eugene Group’s status as YTN’s largest shareholder is invalid, Chairman Yoo is neither our counterpart for dialogue nor qualified to be.” The union emphasized that it has consistently articulated its demands for the past two years and called on Yoo and Eugene Group to “stop damaging YTN and leave immediately.”

Meanwhile, Kim Jong-chul, nominee for the newly established Broadcasting, Media and Communications Commission, said upon arriving at his transition office that he would “review the ruling and determine whether to appeal” in connection with the cancellation of YTN’s shareholder status change. Eugene Group, which joined the lawsuit as an auxiliary participant, has already filed an appeal with the Seoul High Court.

ⓒ "젊은 파워, 모바일 넘버원 아시아투데이"