• Korean Journal of Labor Studies
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.29-64
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• 2018

This paper reviews the dynamics of growth and decline of Democratic Labor Union(Minju-nojo) Movement from the perspective of the conflicts among the industrial relations actors on the institutional incorporation of KCTU, a transformation of industrial relations institutes, and labor flexecurity in the change of political opportunity. The negotiations for the institutional incorporation of KCTU concluded in the 1997-98 labor laws. Since 1998, the conflicts and the compromises on the change of 1997-98 labor laws has continued. It was a kind of games for the transformation of the institutions of industrial relations and labor flexcurity. But the 1997-98 labor laws has shown the path-dependency. Since 2008, a cycle of the movement has entered a decline stage. The decline of Democratic Labor Union Movement came from the institutionalization of the movement, the change of political opportunity, and a generational change of 1987 cohorts group which has been the center of the movement.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.113-150
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• 2006

This study examines how labor unions change in the 21st centry and what is needed for successful transformation of Korean labor union. The study identifies four major driving forces of change in union's role. They are changes in industrial and occupational structures, utilization of information technology, labor substitution, and changing attitude of workers. The effects are decrease in union membership, shrinking coverage of bargaining, weakening voice mechanism, and representation. Thus, labor unions in the 21st centry transform themselves into service union, individual representation system, and worker participation model. Korean labor union, with its current reputation of militant unionism, needs to transform into above mentioned model. Two keys for the change are market competition and family unionism.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.117-143
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• 2006

This paper illuminates the patterns of growth and declines in sizes of union membership in metal, chemical, financial, and auto transport sectors in three distinct periods during the last four decades from 1963 to 2003. This paper also calculates union densities in auto assembly, auto supply, and shipbuilding industries of the metal sector, cement, petroleum refining, and pharmaceutical industries of the chemical sector, private banking industry of the financial sector, and city bus industry of the auto transport sector. Such diversities in both sizes of union membership and union densities among sectors and industries turned out to be associated with attitudes and choices of employers and unions in interaction with sector- and industry-specific economic (growth stage and path), institutional (degrees of government intervention), and social (demographic features of employees and prevailing sizes of firms) environment. Such finding shows that theoretical reasonings on sizes of union membership and union densities across sectors and industries in advanced nations are also relevantly useful to analyze the Korean case.