tag

Workers at SK Hynix yesterday launched a new labour union in Republic of Korea, seeking to bring together employees across different job categories and locations as they pursue greater bargaining power at the leading memory chipmaker.The launch comes as SK Hynix and its existing unions are locking horns over annual wage talks, after the chipmaker posted record quarterly profits on strong demand for AI infrastructure.Nearly 2,500 SK Hynix workers have joined the new union, according to its website. The union was formally launched after the government approved an application. SK Hynix has nearly 35,000 employees in Korea.Unlike existing unions organised around particular job categories or workplaces, the new union aims to represent employees across SK Hynix's operations, including factory workers in Icheon, Cheongju, as well as technical and office staff.Its immediate goal is to become a majority union by signing up more than half of the company's workforce, which would give it greater influence in negotiations with management.The chipmaker last year agreed with its union to allocate 10% of annual operating profit to employee bonuses in cash under a deal that would remain in place for 10 years.But SK Hynix this year proposed paying a majority of workers' bonuses in shares rather than cash, after its peer Samsung Electronics agreed on similar terms earlier this year.Park Ji-soon, a social security law professor at Korea University's School of Law, said the launch could trigger competition among unions for members, as becoming the majority union is key to securing control over collective bargaining.He said a shift towards stock-based bonuses could prompt unions to seek other benefits such as housing loans comparable with those at rival Samsung Electronics.Kim Yong-jin, a management professor at Sogang University, said while workers' concerns over stock compensation were understandable, given the volatility of Korean stocks, equity-based bonuses were common in the United States.Investors have also questioned whether allocating 10% of operating profit to employees reduces funds available for investment or shareholder returns.In May, Samsung Electronics and its unionised workers agreed on a deal on performance pay, averting a major strike at the chip giant that had threatened to disrupt supplies.Samsung agreed to allocate 10.5% of its annual semiconductor operating profit to special bonuses for chip workers. The bonuses would be paid in company stock, with the immediate sale of over a majority of the shares to be restricted. 

Former ambassadors from the Philippines, Sweden, Republic of Korea and Indonesia have paid tribute to His Highness the late Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, describing him as a visionary statesman whose leadership transformed Qatar into a modern nation and strengthened its standing on the global stage while fostering closer ties with countries around the world.Crescente Relacion, who served as Philippine ambassador to Qatar from 2009 to 2015, said that HH Sheikh Hamad’s reign marked Qatar’s unprecedented rise to global prominence not only in the energy sector but also in international politics.“He was a steady hand steering the development of the country, a father figure who is dearly loved by his people and admired by everyone who has been touched by his dynamic leadership,” Relacion told Gulf Times, extending his deepest condolences to the Qatari leadership and people.The envoy recalled significant milestones in Philippine-Qatar relations achieved during HH Sheikh Hamad’s reign.He noted that bilateral ties reached greater heights following HH the late Father Amir’s state visit to Manila in April 2012, when the leaders of both countries held talks on trade, investment and cultural co-operation.Among HH Sheikh Hamad’s enduring legacies for the Filipino community in Qatar, Relacion highlighted the allocation of 1.4 hectares of land for the Philippine School Doha and another one hectare for the Evangelical Churches Alliance Qatar as a place of worship for Filipino evangelicals and other nationalities.The grants fulfilled commitments made during then-Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s visit to Qatar in 2008, with Relacion saying that he worked to expedite their implementation during his tenure.Former Swedish ambassador Ewa Polano, who headed Sweden’s mission in Doha from 2014 to 2019, described HH Sheikh Hamad as the leader who laid the foundations for Qatar’s remarkable transformation through his vision and determination to modernise the country.She said that HH the late Father Amir’s leadership created the platform upon which Qatar has continued to flourish under the leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, becoming an internationally respected hub for diplomacy, innovation, entrepreneurship, education, healthcare and sports.Polano, Sweden’s first ambassador to Qatar, said it had been an honour to witness the country’s dynamic development both domestically and internationally, adding that she would always cherish her memories of serving in what she described as an extraordinary nation.Former ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Qatar Chung Keejong, who served in Doha from 2012 to 2015, also expressed deep condolences, recalling his audience with HH Sheikh Hamad when he presented his credentials in April 2012.He said that relations between Qatar and Korea grew deeper and stronger during HH Sheikh Hamad’s reign, attributing this to HH the late Father Amir’s leadership, which drove Qatar’s rapid domestic development while contributing to peace and stability in the Middle East.“He set a valuable example of peace-making for the world that is becoming increasingly inhumane and dangerous,” Chung said, adding that HH Sheikh Hamad projected Qatar’s true spirit to the international community.Former Indonesian ambassador Deddy Saiful Hadi, who served in Qatar from 2012 to 2016, said he would always remember HH Sheikh Hamad’s warmth, wisdom and sincere commitment to strengthening the friendship between Indonesia and Qatar.“Qatar has lost a visionary leader and the architect of its modern state. I have lost a respected figure whom I deeply admired,” Hadi said as he extended condolences to His Highness the Amir, the al-Thani family and the people of Qatar.

Republic of Korea and the US discussed potential changes in how parts of the heavily fortified border ‌with North Korea are managed ​at recent defence talks ‌in Washington, Seoul's defence ministry ‌said Thursday.The ‌issue was discussed ‌at a bilateral integrated defence consultative body, a ⁠ministry spokesperson said, adding there had been "progress". She denied reports that it could result in joint or divided control of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ)."It is not joint management. Nor is it divided management," the ​spokesperson told a briefing. "It (is) making DMZ management in some sections more realistic."The DMZ marks a ‌buffer zone along the ⁠line ​where the 1950-53 Korean War — when China ​and North Korea battled UN forces led by the US — ended with an armistice, not a treaty.The UN Command oversees the DMZ under the armistice agreement, and the defence ministry spokesperson said Seoul respected its authority while consulting with Washington on technical ‌arrangements for some ‌areas.The comments come ⁠as Republic of Korean President Lee Jae-myung has said ⁠his country would seek to reclaim wartime operational control from the US during his term, which runs through to 2030.The US currently would command allied troops in the ​event of war on the Korean peninsula, but successive Republic of Korea governments have sought to regain wartime operational control. Republic of Korea's Unification Ministry has also recently shifted language on North Korea. Its 2026 white paper said Republic of Korea and North Korea effectively exist as ‌two states, ​while Seoul still seeks eventual unification. 

His Highness The Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received at his office in the Amiri Diwan today Yun Hyunsoo, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, who called on His Highness to bid farewell on the occasion of the end of his tenure in the country. His Highness the Amir wished the ambassador success in his future duties and further growth and prosperity in relations between the two friendly countries. For his part, the ambassador expressed his thanks and appreciation to His Highness the Amir and to the officials in the country for the co-operation he received, which contributed to the success of his work in the country.