1. On September 4, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met with Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Guy Ryder, who is on a visit to the Republic of Korea to attend the “International Forum on Transforming Cities for Decent Work (September 5-6),” and exchanged views on ways to enhance cooperation between the ROK and the ILO.

2. Minister Kang said that the ROK government, one of whose major tasks is creating a society that respects labor, is committed to working actively together with the ILO, and congratulated Director-General Ryder on his reelection. She also took note that the Director-General is playing a leading role, including in launching the Global Commission on the Future of Work, in order to set a new direction and vision for the ILO, which marks its 100th anniversary in 2019.

3. Director-General Ryder spoke highly of the leading roles that the ROK has played since its accession to the ILO in 1991, including the assumption of the chairmanship of the ILO’s Government Group in 2017. The Director-General especially expressed expectations about the various efforts which President Moon is making to create a society that respects labor, including making the ratification of the ILO’s key agreements one of his campaign promises.

4. Minister Kang asked for the Director-General’s interest and support to help many talented Korean people work for the Secretariat of the ILO.

5. The ILO, established in 1919, has a total of 187 members. It is an international organization which has a unique form, where labor, management and government coordinate opinions together. Its major functions include setting international labor standards, technical cooperation, research, education and publication.


* unofficial translation