By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Lee Gyeong-hun, 49, was elected as leader of the Hyundai Motor Union, a key member of the Korean Metal Workers Union (KMWU) under the militant Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). Lee won the support of 53 percent of the total vote of 44.869.
It was Lee's seventh and only successful attempt for the union presidency. He had been defeated by militant members in the previous six attempts.
Lee is regarded as a "dove" compared with his predecessors. Hyundai Motor's union has staged a massive strike virtually on an annual basis, with its members enjoying good wages and benefits that some worry could eventually lead Hyundai on the same path as General Motors Corp., once the biggest global firm but currently been surviving thanks to government support.
However, it is widely believed that Lee's election will not drastically change the union's characteristics, considering it was not overwhelming. About 47 percent who didn't support him could trump him if he tries a conciliatory approach to management.
The newly-elected union leader said, "We will break the conventional labor movement attached to ideology and push for the democratization of the labor movement focusing on workers' rights and win-win relationships with the local community and management."
"It shows that the workers are tired of KMWU's strife and yearly strikes," said Lee Sang-yun, a company official.