Issue 51: 2022. 6. 17. – “A Strike, Resolved”

Dear all,

Greetings from PACOM! We've had an eventful couple of weeks with some much-needed rain and an incident that has unfortunately had some adverse effects. No doubt I now have your curiosity ("adverse effects?"), so let's get into it.

Strikes and resolutions

Last Monday (June 6), Korea was hit with the news that the Korean Truckers' Union would be launching a full-scale strike effective immediately. There has been some foreign coverage of the strike in places like Reuters and the Wall Street Journal, which you can find if you look for it; but for what it meant to PACOM, it meant that full containers could not be delivered to port, which meant additional pressure on delivery. PACOM shipped out what it could via LCL, but nevertheless, PACOM was one of the many companies which were caught in the crossfire.

Thankfully, the union and the government came to a resolution late Tuesday night, and the last few days have been busy for our logistics team as the trucking cycle gets spinning again. At the very least, it's a relief that a strike which could have gone on for a lot longer (and have had a much bigger impact) got resolved.

Those of you who kept up with the news probably had some worries, but rest assured, PACOM is doing all it can to normalize our shipments and will keep you updated.

New equipment

We are currently installing a new Heidelberg XL106-5 sheetfed press to bolster our print capacity. The installation is ongoing and right now no pictures for the moment, but once installation and test runs are complete, you can bet we will have it up on our website and will be relaying pictures for you to see!

We are excited to add even more power to our print capacities, and look forward to what the new press can do for our customers!

Loosening of entry restrictions

As we are seemingly growing clear of the worst of the pandemic, restrictions regarding entry to Korea are now the most relaxed they have been since the start of COVID. The mandatory quarantine requirements (and the complicated waiver acquisition process) has been replaced; all COVID-negative persons are now free of quarantine requirements. Book shows and other mass-gathering events are now ongoing in Korea; perhaps we can go back somewhat to pre-pandemic times, although much will remain changed.

In short, life finds a way. Thanks, Jeff Goldblum.
(OK, I just wanted an excuse to put in a Jurassic Park clip in there to commemorate the latest movie, regardless of the reviews.)

That's all for this edition of PACOM Update. Until next time!

Best regards,
Yu Bum Kim