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Arrest Warrants for KCTU Leaders  (K. Herald, 7.24)
 

Police (today) sought arrest warrants for three top officials of the nation's biggest labor group on charges of orchestrating illegal demonstrations and strikes against U.S. beef imports, and obstructing work last year at branches of a local retailer.

The officials are Lee Suk-haeng, president of the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions, the nation's second-largest umbrella labor group; Senior Vice President Jin Young-ok; and Secretary-General Lee Yong-sik.

"We will combine all cases of lawsuits and complaints against KCTU members regarding the illegal protests in our investigation. Upon the issuance of the writs, we will set up an investigative team dedicated to the matter," a police official told reporters.

They are alleged to have directed KCTU members to go on strike, calling for the renegotiation of the U.S. beef import deal. They are also accused of instructing members illegally demonstrate in front of warehouses in Gyeonggi Province to block the transit of U.S. beef. The beef had been frozen since Oct. 5, when banned backbone fragments were found.

The allegations include that they led unauthorized gatherings against U.S. beef imports, and illegal occupations of public roads during the protests.

Police accuse them of leading or encouraging KCTU members to join the sit-in protests last year at stores of local retail giant E.Land's Homever and New Core stores, located in Sangam-dong and Jamwon-dong in Seoul.

Calling on management to retract a large-scale dismissal of temporary contract workers in July last year, unionized employees participated in illegal sit-ins for about a month.

The labor group roundly berated the government as "quashing democracy by misusing its law enforcement power."

"The Lee Myung-bak dictatorial regime which betrayed the people is trampling democracy by abusing its power after it lost the confidence of the public," the KCTU said in a statement.

"The action (seeking arrest warrants) is an unjust oppression on the rightful exercise of workers' rights to protect public health, and an absolutely political one. We will take it as oppression against our 800,000 members, and collectively and strongly react to it."

A lawmaker of the Democratic Labor Party also railed against the government, calling for the resignation of the National Police Agency Chief Eo Cheong-soo.

"Before seeking arrest warrants, it is more urgent for the government to sack the police chief who ignored the public and led the violent dispersal operations," said Rep. Hong Hee-deok in a statement.

7.24 afternoon: Units of the riot cops in front of KCTU's HQ in Seoul-Yeongdeungpo

7.24 late evening, near the KCTU HQ: Riot cops ready to arrest the KCTU leaders..

..but until now some hundred supporters are trying to protect them!

Meanwhile the Korea Times reported today that.. "Police plan to award those who contributed to quelling anti-U.S. beef protesters. A total of 385 police officers including riot police will receive awards, said the National Police Agency.." That's real JUSTICE & DEMOCRATIC PROGRESS (aka "liberal democracy", as K. Herald labeled it today in another article) - Made in Korea!!(^^)

Related reports:

☞ 경찰, 민주노총 침탈 움직임 '비상' (KCTU)

☞ 이석행 민주노총 위원장 등 체포영장 발부 (VoP)

☞ 이석행 "촛불 소녀가 왔다는 소식에 목메어" (OhmyNews)

Update (7.25):

KCTU Threatens to Go on Strike (K. Times)
 

Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) threatened to go on strike, Friday, demanding the government suspend the imports of U.S. beef and abandon its moves to "suppress the union.''

The threat came one day after a court issued an arrest warrant for the union's head and two other leaders. They are under suspicion of organizing illegal strikes calling for the end of U.S. beef imports.

Meanwhile, police said they were in no hurry to arrest them.

"We have no plan to go into the headquarters of the union and arrest them,'' a police officer said. "But if they come out, we will definitely arrest them.''

7.25 in front of KCTU HQ. Cops are searching for the union leaders..

BTW.. so there are now two sites in Seoul where anti-gov't activists have to hide because of arrest warrants: 6 activists are hiding Jogye-sa, Seoul's main Buddhist temple in downtown, and the 3 labour union leaders in KCTU's HQ.

 
Related:

☞ 조계사.민주노총 동시 강제연행 들어가나 (VoP)

☞ 민주노총 사수투쟁…경찰전진배치 (KCTU)