Labor ministry benchmarks cooperation model at Kooksoondang

The labor ministry said Thursday it is accelerating efforts to root problem-solving cooperation in workplaces by benchmarking successful cases at Kooksoondang, a traditional liquor manufacturer. The Korea Labor-Management Foundation hosted a two-day workshop starting Sept. 17 with officials from sites participating in its 2026 Mutual Partnership Comprehensive Support Project.

Moving away from simply providing financial support, the foundation introduced on-site coaching where experts directly visit workplaces to facilitate dialogue between labor and management. Financial support has reached its target of 100 locations, while on-site coaching has supported 97 sites.

Participating officials toured the Kooksoondang facility to observe its model for cooperation between parent companies and subcontractors, along with specific cases of improved working conditions. The company was selected as a representative firm after winning an award in a 2021 competition.

The second day focused on methodologies for opening channels of communication that had previously been closed. Participants engaged in activities designed to help labor and management move beyond asserting their own positions to finding mutually acceptable agreements.

Park Jong-pil, secretary-general of the foundation, stated that the key to unlocking stuck situations lies in partnership that acknowledges the other party as they are. He emphasized that what is urgently needed on the ground is not one-sided regulation but a setting where labor and management can sit face to face and speak openly.

"Wisdom is required to find very small intersections that can be accepted rather than cutting off rough edges, thereby expanding the circle of consensus," Park added. He pledged to devote full effort to discovering and spreading excellent cases so that small trust built between partners can blossom into industry-wide mutual benefit.

The foundation plans to hold a second workshop in October visiting Biztrocell, a recipient of the 2024 Presidential Award for Labor Culture, to benchmark cases of reducing long working hours through flexible work arrangements.