Three weeks after ChannelNews reported that LG Electronics Australia was using “cheap Korean labour,” a director linked to the company’s internship program has imade several claims regarding the LG electronics inern program.

Gloria Lee, Senior Director at International Mentor Groupe (IMG), (seen below) which facilitates LG’s student placements, insists the interns are lawfully hosted under formal university vocational placement agreements. She also argues that the $1,000 monthly stipend paid to the students is not a wage but a legal allowance.

See original story here. 

At the time of publication, LG Electronics was given 24 hours to respond to our original report but declined to comment.

Lee’s response states that the students’ placements are “educational opportunities arranged through accredited universities, with proper oversight and compliance.” Information about the programs, including that they “empower individuals to learn from LG’s teams and contribute to the business,” was sourced directly from IMG’s website during our original investigation.

She further claimed that our article had cited Amanda Jackson, LG Electronics’ former Head of Human Resources, who is currently pursuing legal action against the company and its Australia and New Zealand CEO, Dan Lim. ChannelNews notes for the record that we did not quote Jackson in our story.

Lee alleges that Jackson, a 15-year veteran at LG, was directly responsible for approving and managing the internship programs during her tenure.

In her letter to ChannelNews, Lee requested a formal right of reply, stating our claims that LG Electronics Australia employed Korean interns “off the books” under cheap or illegal labour conditions are “entirely false.”

She stressed that:

Interns were lawfully placed under vocational agreements.

The $1,000 was an allowance, not a salary.

IMG itself does not issue or process payments.

ChannelNews acknowledges that sources previously indicated IMG processed the payments; Lee has clarified this is not the case.

Lee also disputed claims that the interns, many of whom were said to speak little or no English, were left off LG’s payroll. “The students do speak English at an adequate level,” she said. “They are not listed on payroll because they are not employees, and payroll registration is not legally required for vocational placements.”

During our investigation, one source suggested the interns’ cultural experience in Australia was limited to “a morning tea with a packet of Tim Tams.” Lee rejected this as false, further adding that LG also employs local interns but did not identify which universities are involved in those arrangements.

Despite defending the program, Lee did not specify the work undertaken by the students, the hours involved, or the duration of their placements at LG Electronics.

She also challenged our statement questioning how the South Korean interns could survive in Sydney on such a small allowance. According to Lee, the stipend from LG is supplementary, with students receiving financial support from their universities, the Korean government, and their parents.

On her LinkedIn page Gloria Lee has posted pictures of the LG Electronics Australia students having dinner with the CompaniesManaging Director  Dan Lim.

She claims the students who are only being paid $1,0000 a month subsidy will “Get hands-on experience, explore cutting-edge ideas, and connect with industry leaders—all while making meaningful contributions to LG’s dynamic environment”.
ChannelNews referred to the student program as Cheap labour for LG Electronics.

ChannelNews has lodged additional questions with Gloria Lee about the employment of interns at LG Electronics Australia, we are is still awaiting a response.