Prologue

Part 1. Analysis from the Perspective of Global Production Network 

 

○ Summary of Part 1 3

Ⅰ. Introduction 7

Ⅱ. Economic Relations between Korea and Vietnam 15

Ⅲ. Case Study: Electronics Industry 19

Ⅳ. Case Study: Apparel Industry 41

Ⅴ. Conclusion 87

 

Part 2. Analysis from the Local Perspective 

 

○ Summary of Part 2 95

Ⅰ. Introduction 99

Ⅱ. Vietnam Economic and Social Context 102

Ⅲ. The Development of garment and electronics industries in Vietnam 111

Ⅳ. Employment relations of Korean corporations in textile/garment industry 125

Ⅴ. Employment relations of Korean corporations in electronics industry 139

Ⅵ. Characteristics of employment relations of Korean corporations and directions for further improvements 154

 

Annex 1. Interview Questions for Workers 160

Annex 2. Interview questions for enterprise managers and union leaders 163

 

References 169

Epilogue 174 

Among many Asian nations, Vietnam has continued to garner global attention as the next China due to its rapid economic growth. Its growth has been fueled in part by foreign direct investment, of which the largest share comes from Korean companies in terms of accumulated value. Over the past decade, there has been a rush of Korean companies starting business in Vietnam. However, little research has been published on Korean firms operating in Vietnam, analyzing the current status of their employment relations, any labor issues that they may be causing, and the potential for development.