Distinguished members!
Our Korea Labor and Employment Relations Association is already writing a 30-year history. It is a fact that our association has contributed greatly to the development of labor-management relations and labor- management policies while sharing the history of Korea’s new labor- management relations. Founded by pioneers of labor-related studies, whom were at the center of Korea’s labor policy, Employment Relations Association, experts in labor-management relations, personnel management, experts in labor economics, and representatives of organizations and organizations representing labor and management held policy discussions and academic conferences to enhance the competitiveness of labor-management relations together to address the rapidly changing economic environment.
Many of the labor problems faced by our society cannot be solved simply by interpreting current laws, and policy judgment and response are important from a broad perspective. In order for the employment and labor policies, and the labor-related legal systems to be effective, knowledge and theory of economics and sociology to understand the reality of labor problems must be preempted, and interests in the field must be heard from the perspective of the subject of labor-management relations. In this sense, our society was able to play a role as a focal point of experts for the development of Korea’s labor policy by discussing and grasping the boundaries of majors by developing a convergence methodology of labor law, labor economy, and labor relations.

Distinguished members!
The future is all the more important. The employment and labor realities in our society are indeed a crisis, such as the development of mega- trends such as low birth rate, aging population, globalization, and rapid development of information and communication technology, polarization of the labor market, which is still unresolved despite the government’s efforts, unfair treatment and unstable employment conditions of non-regular workers, reduction of the potential to create decent jobs, and an increase in youth unemployment rate. In addition, employment and labor relations face new challenges as the development of the digital world replaces traditional employment patterns such as platform labor. We feel the need for a research space where we can present rational and future-oriented employment and labor policies by combining the capabilities of our professional researchers, who encompass diverse perspectives, is all the more urgent.

Distinguished members!
Our association should be further developed into an interdisciplinary research platform for the future of Korea’s labor-management relations, employment, and labor policies by inheriting the achievements made by senior researchers. Based on this fact, we need to propose a future-oriented and competitive labor policy and also play a role as a bridge to nurture future students who can contribute to the development of labor-management relations and the resolution of employment problems in various fields.
Although it is a short period of time, I will actively consider the roles and responsibilities of our association for the development of competitive employment and labor policies. So, we will work together with our members to help our association become the cradle of Korean labor. Thank you.
2019.7.1.