Lawmaker Kim Seung-won: "I Will Stand with Homeplus Until It Is Fully Normalized"
National Assembly member Kim Seung-won (Democratic Party of Korea, Suwon-A) stated on the 13th, in relation to the reopening of 67 Homeplus stores nationwide, “I will wholeheartedly support the new start of Homeplus and its workers as they get back on their feet, so that the doors that have reopened will never close again.”
On this day, Rep. Kim posted an article titled ‘Homeplus Reopens! Cheering for Homeplus and Its Workers Getting Back on Their Feet’ on his Facebook page, and also posted a photo of himself visiting the Homeplus Buksuwon branch located in his constituency, encouraging employees and purchasing goods.
Rep. Kim said, “Today, 67 Homeplus stores nationwide reopened their doors,” adding, “I too gladly visited the Buksuwon branch and joined the shopping campaign, and while touring the store that has regained its vitality, I did some shopping and came back with both hands full.”
Rep. Kim emphasized, “The Buksuwon branch, once the top-selling store nationwide, also went through a major crisis while MBK sold off core assets and pocketed funds worth trillions of won. At last year’s parliamentary audit, I intensively pressed MBK for accountability, strongly urged an investigation of those responsible, and fought to protect workers’ workplaces and the local economy.”
Rep. Kim went on to write, “Today’s reopening is a precious result created through the efforts of the workers and their families who endured on cold streets and in front of the courts, the tenant businesses and suppliers, and everyone who stood in solidarity, and I sincerely thank them all.”
He further pledged, “However, today’s reopening is not an end but a new beginning. I will stand with Homeplus until it regains its vitality and is fully normalized into a workplace where workers, tenant businesses, and suppliers can all work with peace of mind.”
Based on a 200 billion won emergency operating fund loan, Homeplus held a soft opening of the 67 temporarily closed stores on the 7th, and on this day officially opened the 67 stores.