EXCLUSIVE:Messy Situation Unfolding At LG Electronics As MD Defends Harrasment Claims

A messy situation is unfolding at LG Electronics with the Companies current managing director, filing a defence with the Federal Court after LG Australia’s  former Director of human resources who was a 14 year veteran at the Company, filed a Fair Works claim following a multitude of complaints relating to harrasment and the work culture at the South Korean Companies subsidary in Australia.

It also follows our recent revelations relating to the criminal activity of a former LG Electronics New Zealand manager who made damming claims about instructions he was given by LG Australia executives.

The latest saga at the South Korean Company that is experienced at defending their reputation in the Federal Court after being fined heavily in the past for questionable business practises, is potentially going to mediation following new ADR filings by Amanda Jackson the former Human Resources Director for LG Australia who has made several claims against the Company’s current managing director and the way that LG operates, she claims management are racist when it comes to Australian employees.

LG Electronics Australia’s run in’s at the Federal Court in Australia are well documented, at one stage the Sydney based Company that sells appliances, consumer electronics air conditioning TVs and professional display systems was ordered by a Federal Court judge that they had to have all marketing PR and advertising copy proof read and approved by a lawyer, after being found guilty of misleading consumers, is now having to fend off a multitude of serious charges and allegations relating to the internal running of the Australian operation.

Managing Director of LG Electronics Australia Dan (Sang Moo) Lim

Late last week the Managing Director of LG Electronics Australia Dan (Sang Moo) Lim filed a defence along with LG Electronics after he was accused of ‘unduly bullying and harassing’ the former Director of the Companies human resources operation Amanda Jackson who has filed a Fair Works claim against the Company in the Federal Court.

She claims that she was set up to be sacked after complaining to management about practises at the Parramatta based Company.

She claims that LG electronics Australia is an “unsafe workplace and that that LG’s conduct contravenes the general protections and anti-bullying provisions of the Fair Work Act in Australia.

Jackson was eventually sacked by Lim back in December 2024 after she made several complaints to the Company, about work related issues, LG claims that Jackson joined the Company in January 2011 and not 2010 as Jackson claims.

As part of her claims against the Company, Lim and LG Electronics were accused by Jackson of stopping an investigation into the issuing of “unauthorised employment references” by a senior executive in the Companies air conditioning division, while also claiming that the South Korean Company and its Korean management are “racist”.

Lim is the same managing director who the former New Zealand Country Manager Dowan Kim reported to when a Commerce Commission investigation in New Zealand exposed criminality by former senior LG Electronics employees during an investigation into price fixing in New Zealand.

Kim and two former LG staff members pleaded guilty to criminal charges after material requested by the Commission was destroyed during an investigation into possible resale price maintenance, Kim claims he was instructed by management at LG Australia to destroy communication between LG New Zealand and Harvey Norman management as well as correspondence between himself and head office staff in Australia.

Last year shortly after COVID as the market was recovering, Jackson requested additional headcount so that she could run her human resources division more effectively.

Lim claims that LG Electronics “business performance” had not recovered enough to justify an additional headcount.

Amanda Jackson worked at LG Electronics in senior human resources roles for 14 years.

Jackson claimed that she had been allocated “Extraneous duties and an excessive workload which was preventing her from properly discharging the core functions of her role”.

This was the same period that saw LG increase profits from $20,624,000 in 2023 to $26,919,000 as at June 2024.

Jackson claimed that she simply wanted to “Alleviating the pressures of her role” and the demands being put on her.

LG and Lim claimed that resources were needed to resource other parts of its business, “including, in particular, business units that played a direct role in driving performance as opposed to back office departments”.

In February 2024 Jackson told Lim that she was having difficulty doing her job as many of her colleagues insisted on talking in Korean, as opposed to English.

This led to her claiming that she felt “Excluded” and that she requested Lim to reiterate to employees that work communications were to be in English.

ChannelNews understands that most senior Korean management at LG Electronics Australia do speak English.

LG management claim that they understood Jacksons complaint was more about employees at LG Australia having a problem, as opposed to her personally being excluded because of the lack of English.

Lim claims in his defence that he took steps to remind employees “that involved non-Korean speakers” that the “English language was to be used by default”.

He claims that he gave instructions that the Korean language was not to be spoken at meetings”.

If a conversation involved LG’s head office staff in South Korean English speaking attendees would get a translated into English communication for the benefit of any non-Korean speakers”.

In May 2024, Ms Jackson attended a meeting with Lim in his office, to discuss the actions of Eun Sung Cha, the BOP Director at LG Electronics Australia,(seen below) who had allegedly engaged in misconduct by providing an unauthorised employment reference on LG letterhead for the purposes of supporting another person’s visa application to the Department of Home Affairs.

She claims that when she raised the matter Lim was reluctance to undertake a “fulsome investigation”. of the issue.

Lim admits in his defence that he decided that a further investigation into the allegations against Mr Cha was not warranted.

Instead, he gave an order for Grace Remonte, LG’s HR Business Partner to issue a warning letter reprimanding him for using LG Electronics letterhead for the purposes of supporting another person’s visa application to the Department of Home Affairs which was not an official or approved document from LG.

There was no reference to how long Eun Sung Cha, had been doing this for, or how many other people who had immigration applications with the Department of Home Affairs had got an endorsement on LG letterhead.

It’s also not known whether he took any calls from Home Affairs relating to applicants without referring them to Human Resources for a reference.

Three months before she was terminated Jackson wrote to Lim questioning why people were being hired without going through proper HR assessment or even the HR department.

The issue involved LG’s Product Director Air Solutions who had apparently contacted someone directly with a view to hiring them.

In her email to Lim, she complained that “this is yet another example of under handiness and lack for respect for me and my role and the dishonest way of doing business”.

She inquired whether Mr Oh “was acting on your direction” and complained that, either way it is extremely disappointing”.

LG and Lim admit receipt of the email but deny Jacksons claims relating to the issue.

As matters got worse at LG, Jackson on 2nd of October 2024 instructed her solicitors to write to LG claiming that she had recently been “targeted, harassed, intimidated and discriminated against, bullied, and treated adversely”.

She also complained about specific instances whereby she was excluded from decision-making and thereby undermined in her position as Human Resources Director”.

She also had her solicitors complain about “the discriminatory treatment of staff of non-Korean descent”.

“Complained about the way LG has unduly scrutinised and micromanaged her and imposed burdensome requirements” on her.

she claimed that her treatment by the South Korean run Company “Had been motivated by her race and age”.

She complained about the way LG imposed different standards on her (as opposed to other team directors) by requiring her to produce a medical certificate for a brief period of illness and threatening her work from home arrangements”.

Another complaint related to claims that LG “Had fomented an unsafe workplace and that that LG’s conduct contravened the general protections and anti-bullying provisions of the FW Act, as well as its own policies”.

LG and Lim deny the claims laid out in the letter claiming the letter was sent in connection with a “without prejudice” offer (also outlined in
the letter) that offered to end Jacksons employment on certain terms and the making of certain payments”.

Lawyers acting for Lim and LG have also reserved their right to object to the admission of the letter in Jacksons Fair Work case against LG and Lim.

LG’s global Labor policy claims that they prohibit discrimination based on nationality or origin, but it doesn’t explicitly mandate English-only policies in the workplace.

They claim that LG’s global Labor policy strictly prohibits discrimination based on nationality or national origin.

LG’s global Labor policy encourages employees to communicate openly and cooperate with each other to improve work efficiency.

This suggests a preference for a common language, but it’s not a mandatory requirement.

The LG Electonics and Lim defence was filed minutes after Jackson filed an ADR with the Federal Court.

An ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) referral is a process where a dispute is referred to a third party, typically a mediator, to assist in resolving the conflict outside of court.

Prior to taking up the Managing Director role in Australia Lim (Seen above) was Vice President of Vacuum Cleaner Business Division in H&A at LG Electronics Headquarters in South Korea.

Ironically one his first duties as Managing Director in Australia, Lim hosted a fundraiser event involving a South Korean major league baseball team, the LG Twins.