Chaebols in South Korea economy and industrial relations

Chaebols acted as a strategic actor in the industrialization policies of Korea. During the industrialization process, they supported the State's development plans and undertaken a significant role in performing them. They also have became an influential partner in the country's economic growth until then. The purpose of this study is to reveal Chaebols' roles and effects on Korea's industrial relations system. Another reason for studying this subject is that there is a small number of studies which analyzing chaebols' industrial relations in process of the development. For this study, the data containing subjects of South Korea, industrialization and the Chaebols are gathered by reviewing literature. The data and cases presented and analyzed within the historical frame. According to the research's results, the chaebols were effective in shaping union organizations at the workplace level under the planned industrialization period that strictly directed by the Korean state. Another conclusion is that chaebols reshaped workplace regulations on labor relations under the developments on political, economic and legal conditions. The third important conclusion is that chaebols' policies on labor relations is diverging: Some chaebols supporting unionisation and industrial relations, and practices of human resource. In contrast some chaebols provide to employees high wages and other social rights to reduce the unionization that it causes non-union labour relations practises in their workplace.