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🇰🇷 South Korea /Economy & Trade

[Photo] 'Let us work again,' Homeplus workers' tearful plea

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified In the courts
  • Homeplus workers and store tenants held a rally near the Blue House in Seoul, demanding government intervention to resolve the company's 회생 (rehabilitation) process.
  • They criticized MBK Partners, the private equity firm that acquired Homeplus, and Meritz Financial Group, the largest creditor, for inaction.
  • The protesters, many in tears, pleaded to be allowed to work again and urged the government to devise a rehabilitation plan.

Dozens of Homeplus workers and store tenants gathered near the Blue House in Seoul, their faces etched with distress, to implore the government for intervention in the struggling retailer's rehabilitation process. Many wore yellow vests, a symbol of solidarity, and clutched hand fans and water bottles against the sweltering heat, underscoring the urgency of their plea.

The lives of Homeplus workers, the livelihoods of tenants, and the suffering of suppliers were not at all in MBK's consideration.

— Ansu Yong, Head of Homeplus Branch, Mart Labor UnionCriticizing the private equity firm MBK Partners for neglecting stakeholders.

The rally, titled 'July 15 Homeplus Workers and Merchants General Mobilization,' highlighted the dire situation faced by those whose livelihoods depend on the company. Participants expressed deep frustration with MBK Partners, the private equity firm that acquired Homeplus, and Meritz Financial Group, the largest creditor. They accused both entities of neglecting the plight of workers, tenants, and suppliers.

Ansu Yong, the head of the Homeplus branch of the Mart Labor Union, directly criticized Meritz Financial Group for its passive stance, urging them and the government to take swift action. The emotional atmosphere was palpable as speakers shared their personal struggles. Chae Hee-jae, who operates a kids' cafe at the Homeplus Junggye branch, questioned the fairness of a system where diligent citizens are unprotected while the most vulnerable bear the brunt of the crisis.

Is this right? That diligent citizens who have lived faithfully are not protected, and the weakest people have to bear the greatest damage?

— Chae Hee-jae, Kids Cafe Operator at Homeplus Junggye BranchExpressing outrage over the company's situation and lack of protection for workers and tenants.

Her words brought many to tears. Jang Myung-sook, a former employee at the Homeplus Gyeongsan branch, trembled as she read her statement, her voice thick with emotion. "All we want is to be allowed to work again. We truly want to work," she pleaded. The rally concluded with a symbolic act of tearing a banner that read 'Speculative Capital MBK,' a powerful visual representation of their anger and desperation. The protesters are appealing for a concrete rehabilitation plan to be developed, with a crucial deadline for filing an immediate appeal against the court's decision to terminate Homeplus's rehabilitation proceedings looming.

What we, and I, want is only one thing. Please let us work again. I really want to work.

— Jang Myung-sook, Former Employee at Homeplus Gyeongsan BranchVoicing the deep desire of workers to return to their jobs.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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