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President Lee Jae-myung speaks at a meeting of senior secretaries and aides held at Cheong Wa Dae on the 3rd. / Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung met with the leaders of the two major umbrella labor unions on the 3rd to exchange views on recent labor issues, including national megaprojects, and the promotion of social dialogue.

In particular, President Lee and the union chiefs formed a consensus on the retirement age extension bill—which has undergone debate across various issues in the National Assembly's Special Committee on Retirement Age Extension over the past year—agreeing that "an outcome needs to be reached within the year through deliberations in the National Assembly reflecting diverse interests."

Senior Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung announced that President Lee invited Kim Dong-myeong, president of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), and Yang Kyeong-soo, president of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), to Cheong Wa Dae for a tea meeting.

President Lee emphasized the national importance of the megaprojects, noting that their successful execution is vital for future generations and bolstering national competitiveness.

In response, the two labor leaders proposed that close communication and active participation from the labor sector are essential for the projects' success, noting that labor-related issues surrounding the Megazone Special Act currently under discussion must be resolved through social dialogue involving both labor and management.

Furthermore, Spokesperson Kang noted that President Lee welcomed discussions within the KCTU regarding a return to social dialogue, urging both labor groups to seek solutions through complete, fully inclusive social dialogue, especially given the mounting national challenges that labor, management, and the government must resolve together, including the artificial intelligence transition in labor and overcoming K-shaped polarization.

                                                                                                             Hong Sun-mi