International Conference on the Social Responsibility of Korean Companies Abroad: Human Rights, Labor and the Environment

Korean House for International Solidarity (KHIS), Conference announcement, 23 November 1998

Since 1995, Korean House for International Solidarity (KHIS)—a independent center of People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPI) has been monitoring the actions of Korean companies abroad that have violated labor and human rights.

Every year KHIS has written letters of appeal to companies, conducted field research—fact finding—in China, Vietnam and Indonesia, and organized seminars and street campaigns to raise public awareness of corporate violations.

Recently, KHIS began organizing a street campaign every weekend to promote writing protest postcards as well as collecting small funds for workers who have been illegally dismissed since the summer of 1998. Many students and young people in particular are interested in and support this campaign. This is because name brands such as Nike, Reebok and Adidas are popular with this demographic group, and because these companies tend to violate the labor rights of youth, children and women (Violations include low-wages and unsafe working conditions, among others).

Many of these name brand companies subcontract to Korean companies from Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Central America.

KHIS has organised an international conference every two years on the independent monitoring of Korean companies abroad. This year’s conference will be held on December 12-13 at Sokang University in Seoul, Korea.

Various social organizations are scheduled to participate including trade unions, labour and human rights groups and different social interest groups including those concerned with the rights of women, citizens, youth and consumers.

During the conference, host organizations will address NGOs codes of conduct against companies codes of conduct and action program in the each area like woman, labour union, environmental group, youth group and independent monitoring system. Also we will invite workers from shoe and clothing companies who worked from TNCs like Nike and Carfu and Sony.

An important part of this conference is the Cultural Event and Solidarity program with Asian trainees who work in Korean companies abroad. It is an opportunity for conference participants to share their experiences, culture, food, etc. The event will also be a space to discuss building a network to monitor Korean companies abroad in the Asian region.

Attached is a conference program and a PSPD brochure.

sincerely yours
Chief Coordinator of KHIS in PSPD
Serapina Cha, Mi-kyung

1. Conference Goals

• Evaluate the monitoring of Korean companies abroad and discussion = of how to raise the social responsibilities of companies
• Create a declaration and campaign for fair trade and human rights companies
• Prepare a domestic network for human rights and green consumerism
• Publicize ways to conduct education for youth
• Create a network of southeast and east Asian laborers working in Korean companies abroad
• Develop codes of conduct and independent monitoring

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