[Edaily Reporter Lee So-Hyun ] It has belatedly come to light that Naver (NAVER(035420)) joined the Korea Federation of Economic Organizations (KFEO) last year. Naver explained that this move was intended to expand collaboration with various companies amid a trend where boundaries between industries are blurring, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).

According to industry sources on the 12th, Naver completed the membership application process for the KEF late last year and officially joined as a member. This is reportedly the first instance of a domestic information technology (IT) company joining the KEF.

The KEF is an employers’ organization that primarily addresses labor-management relations and human resources and labor affairs. It provides member companies with consultations on labor-management relations, compensation, human resources, organizational management, and labor laws, and represents the business community’s position on major labor issues, such as amendments to labor relations laws.

Some observers interpret Naver’s decision to join the KEF last year as a move to prepare for uncertainties in labor-management relations stemming from the so-called “Yellow Envelope Act.” This is because the implementation of the amended law has heightened disputes surrounding the employer liability of prime contractors or parent companies that substantively and specifically control and determine working conditions.

A Naver official explained, “We joined the KEF last year,” adding, “Amid the acceleration of cross-industry connections and convergence driven by AI, this move is intended to collaborate more closely with various companies and expand cross-industry cooperation.”

Previously, Naver also joined the Korea Economic Association (KEA) last year. At that time, the company cited the growing need for cooperation with existing industrial firms as AI spread across all sectors as the rationale for its membership. Naver maintains that its membership in the KEF is also an extension of this effort to expand cooperation within the business community. Both Naver and Kakao joined the KEA last year.

Furthermore, this move coincided with the Naver labor union’s efforts to actively pursue consolidated collective bargaining across affiliates.

The Naver Branch of the Textile, Chemical, and Food Workers’ Union issued a “Joint Statement” and held a “Forum on Exploring a Unified Bargaining Structure for the IT Sector” at the National Assembly that day, raising the need to introduce unified bargaining to discuss common working conditions for Naver and its affiliates at the group level. The union argued that since Naver exercises substantial decision-making authority over key working conditions—such as incentives and work schedules—at its affiliates, the bargaining structure must be revised accordingly.

The Naver union plans to hold a ceremony to announce the launch of integrated collective bargaining on the 20th and begin full-scale implementation. Consequently, attention is expected to focus not only on discussions regarding the scope of employer responsibility between the parent company and its affiliates following the implementation of the revised Labor Union Act but also on Naver’s future approach to labor-management relations.