CINA

본문

THE STRUGGLE OF

CONSTRUCTION WORKERS IN POHANG

IS STILL CONTINUING!!

Workers' rallies in southern city reach breaking point (Hankyoreh, 8.07)

Rallies in Pohang increasing in number and violence

Although a union workers' occupation of POSCO headquarters in Pohang, North Gyeongsang province, has come to an end, the crisis at the large steel manufacturer continues. Police and unionists clashed at a mass rally on August 4 organized by the construction labor union and Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the country's second-largest umbrella labor group. About 100 were injured. The union plans to hold another large-scale rally on Wednesday(*). Pohang is in a full state of crisis.

Construction workers in Pohang expressed hopelessness and rage at the situation when talked to by the Hankyoreh. Lee, 47, who has worked for 13 years at POSCO construction sites, became furious when someone mentioned Ha Jung-geun, who died after being hit on the head by shields wielded by riot police. "There is only a person who was beaten to death; there was 'no one' who hit him," Lee said, referring to the fact that no blame has been placed so far in the incident. "I want to turn over the government and POSCO" to be prosecuted, said Lee.

It has been 37 days since construction workers in Pohang went on strike. But there is not any sign of an impending solution. The workers were asking for raise and improvement in labor conditions, but now new issues have emerged, such as worker's compensation disputes and how arrested unionists will be dealt with. Added to this is dispute over Ha's death.

POSCO construction projects at the Hyeongsan River have been stopped for about 20 days. After the workers' occupation of the POSCO main office ended, the strike was expected to wane. The number of participants in the strike, however, is still at over 3,500.

Oh Hi-taek, an official of the Korean Federation of Construction Industry Trade Unions (KFCITU), said that "negotiations with subcontractors are likely to be made, but POSCO, which has the key to the solution, has refused to budge an inch. Unless POSCO moves, there cannot be any improvement in negotiations."

Some experts suggested the hard-line approach: to make POSCO move, another clash between the union and authorities is unavoidable. Park, 52, a civil engineering worker, said, "Many unionists think that we should stage a sit-down demonstration."

According to industry experts, the problem stems from all sides. The government, labor, management and all citizens should practice self-examination and make an effort to solve the conflict, the experts said.

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/147406.html

Here a report by Voice of People about last Friday's demonstration and clashes in Pohang:

Laborers' Rally against Riot Police's Violence 

* 하중근열사 정신계승! 살인경찰폭력 규탄! 전국노동자대회

시간: 2006-08-09 오후 3:00

장소: 포항 동국대병원 앞 (**)

KCTU published 6 days ago(8.02) following:

KCTU/KFCITU Action Alert : Union Member dies due to severe beating by riot police

"포항 전투!!"

자본가, 지배계급의 노동자착취 구조

강화하고 있는 노무현 정권의 오만한 무력진압에 맞선 투쟁
(8월 4일 포항 상황)

Documentary by 숲속홍길동同志

For more informations, but "only" in Korean, please check out

KFCITU's(전국건설사무노동조합) home page: http://www.kfcitu.org

****

** PS(8.09):

Here you can read(in Korean) the first report about today's demonstration in Pohang:

하중근 살인 경찰폭력규탄 전국노동자대회 개최 (Voice of People)

본문

Today in the morning(KST), under the threat of massive state terror - the gov't predicted yesterday "bloodshed" - the striking construction workers in Pohang were forced to give up their current struggle.. But the struggle in general isnt't over!!

Hankryoreh, Yonhap reported today following:

Unionized workers voluntarily end sit-in strike at POSCO
 
Unionized workers voluntarily ended their strike at the headquarters of POSCO, the world's fifth-largest steelmaker, on Friday after their union disintegrated, police said.

About 2,400 construction workers hired by POSCO's subcontractors had holed up for eight days at the head office in the southeastern port city of Pohang, about 370 kilometers from Seoul, demanding higher pay and better working conditions.

On Thursday night, the union workers started leaving the 12-story POSCO building after riot police raided it to disperse them. All workers left the building as of around 4:00 a.m. on Friday, according to police.

Police crackdown brings end to week-long strike at POSCO

A police crackdown on striking workers at the head office of POSCO in this industrial city early Friday ended an eight-day demonstration that has disrupted the operations of the nation's leading steelmaker, local police said.

"We have arrested around 120 unionized workers, including their leaders holed up in the office, who remained there in defiance of our demand that they disband voluntarily," police said. "Eight others will also face criminal charges for disrupting POSCO's operations."
The arrests were made during a predawn raid that did not involve serious clashes. Police officers forced their way into the head office after union leaders refused to end their industrial unrest.
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/Engnews/20060721/410200000020060721095843E6.html

Korea Times will publish in its tomorrow's edition following:

POSCO Seeks Damage Suit Against Strikers
 
The police have arrested around 120 striking construction workers of subcontractors for POSCO, including 21 union leaders for their illegal nine-day occupation of the company’s headquarters in Pohang, North Kyongsang Province.

POSCO CEO Lee Ku-taek said the world’s fourth largest steel maker would file civil and criminal charges against the strikers for their illegal occupation of the head office, property damage and disruption of operations.

POSCO estimated that it sustained over 200 billion (about ($210 million) in lost production due to paralyzed operations. POSCO shares have fallen about 5 percent since the strike began.

The police said it issued an arrest warrant for Lee Ji-kyong, head of the regional industrial union of the construction workers. The police took the detained workers to nearby police stations for investigation. They said the leaders would face legal charges for violence and unlawful occupation.

The workers occupying the headquarters ended their nine-day strike early yesterday morning following the arrests.

The striking workers began to come out of the building around 10 p.m. Thursday, and all 1,532 workers there left the site by 5 a.m. yesterday, the police said.

On July 13, 2,435 workers occupied the building, demanding better working conditions, but 905 of them had deserted the strike before the collapse of the occupation Thursday night.

At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, leaders of the workers sent a written message to the police saying that they would voluntarily disperse if the authorities promised not to punish them or claim damage. Some of the workers began to remove barricades that they had set up inside the 12-story building.

One hour later, however, the workers changed their mind and set up the barricades again, following opposition by hard-line workers and a rumor that the authorities would take legal action against them.

The police kept up efforts to persuade them to leave, saying that they would be allowed home after a brief period of questioning.

Workers who were tired of the nine-day strike left the building of their own accord in groups of 30 to 40 amid the internal disputes between moderate and hard-line workers _ the leaders lost control and the illegal strike was finally broken up.

Twenty-four of the 30 construction projects POSCO has been working on were stopped during the strike causing about 10 billion won in losses per day.

It is expected to take more time for POSCO employees to start normal operations as many office fixtures and facilities in the building have been damaged.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, an umbrella union of the construction workers, said a similar strike could take place again unless POSCO solved the underlying problems workers face with subcontractors.

 http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200607/kt2006072115245611950.htm

JoongAng Ilbo is writing this:

137 strikers in custody as sit-in at Posco ends after 9-day siege
 

The sit-in at the Posco headquarters building here ended early yesterday when most of the striking construction workers slowly filed out of the 12-story building between 11 p.m. Thursday and 4 a.m. yesterday. After the strikers who left willingly had made their way out, police entered the upper floors of the building and removed about 30 leaders of the nine-day protest and others still in the building.

There had been signs earlier Thursday evening that the saga was nearly over; but the evacuation began only after conflicting announcements from the strikers of their intentions. Beginning an hour before midnight, some of the estimated 1,500 strikers began leaving in groups of 20 or 30; at midnight, those still inside began removing chairs blocking stairwells and filed out. At about 1 a.m., a group of 300 left the building together.

By 4 a.m., most of the protesters had left. They were interrogated briefly by police, and were released after signing statements promising to appear for further questioning later. The leaders who were seized by police inside the building are being held in custody. They included Lee Ji-gyeong, the head of the union on strike against construction companies under contract to Posco. The union, after talks with the contractors broke down, took their grievances to Posco, which had also provided temporary workers to replace the strikers.

Riot police had made sporadic efforts to evict the strikers by force, but were repulsed with boiling water and flamethrowers fashioned from pipes attached to gas canisters. Eight police were reported injured in the assaults over the earlier four days.
A sizeable number of the strikers left the building after the first police assault Sunday night, in which four policemen suffered burns. The leaders of the sit-in barred the departure of groups beginning Wednesday, allowing only individuals who complained of health problems to leave. But by Thursday evening, most of the workers had had enough.
At 6:10 a.m. yesterday, police declared the incident over. They had deployed 8,000 riot and other police to the scene, and said 137 workers had been taken into custody. They had obtained court warrants to arrest 21 union leaders, 17 of whom were reportedly in custody yesterday.

Posco said it would file civil and criminal charges against the union; its Seoul office is reviewing its options and estimating the assets owned by the union and its members, who are individually liable under Korean law for damage during an illegal strike...

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200607/21/200607212233259539900090409041.html 

But - believe it or not - the final battle against exploitation and oppression will come ..sooner or later!!

본문

The threat of state terror is following

by psycho-war in the media

JoongAng Ilbo's today's edition writes following:

Posco strike off, then it's back on again in 8th day
 
Workers said they needed to have a guarantee they wouldn't be sued

Striking workers told police yesterday they would voluntarily end their eight-day occupation of Posco's headquarters in Pohang, but then quickly retracted the decision.
About 9 p.m. last night, workers began putting back barricades and told police they would not leave the building.

 
A labor union leader inside the building told the JoongAng Ilbo late last night that the construction workers had promised to leave the building on one main condition: a guarantee that they would not be sued for their actions.

However, their employer, the Korean Specialty Contractors Association, then told them that the issue was not negotiable. That's when the approximately 1,000 workers in the building decided to stay.

It had been a tumultuous day. In the morning, the government vowed to use the necessary force to remove the laborers. They also vowed stern punishments for the people involved in the takeover, in North Gyeongsang province.

"Posco is not a negotiation partner of the labor union," Labor Minister Lee Sang-soo said yesterday morning. "It is hard to understand why the union is insisting on negotiating with Posco."

 
During the day, a split in the union appeared to worsen. Labor union leaders barred workers from leaving the building, fearing an exodus, according to police, quoting workers who were questioned after secretly making their way out.

A 53-year-old worker who climbed down an elevator cable yesterday morning while others were sleeping said those who wanted to leave the building had scuffled with union leaders. He said his initial attempt to leave the building with 18 other workers was stopped by others wielding wooden sticks, so he went out alone.

 
Another escapee said the union leaders had been trying to calm the agitated workers. "Many of them worried that they might lose their union membership if they got out after the situation was resolved, and eventually lose their jobs," he said.

 
About 7:30 p.m., some of the workers began removing the barricades from inside the building, after the leadership of the construction workers' labor union provided a written statement to the police that "We all will come down. Please show leniency to all the union members and let them return to their families."

The occupation and strike has cost Posco an estimated 80 billion won ($84 million) as of yesterday, said Ha Dae-ryong, a company spokesman.

The strike began in June, against the contractors association. The 2,500 unionized workers, who have been constructing 24 new production facilities for Posco, sought higher wages and a five-day work week.

On July 11, Posco notified police that the labor union was obstructing its business. Two days later, the angry workers marched to Posco's headquarters building and occupied it.
Posco turned off electricity and air conditioning in the building Tuesday and cut off water yesterday.

The police also released yesterday video footage showing strikers blocking riot policemen from entering the building Tuesday, with some using flame throwers made from liquefied petroleum gas containers, rubber hoses and steel pipes against riot police trying to enter the building. Eight riot policemen sustained burns during the failed attempt to enter the building, the police said. It was unclear if any of the strikers were injured during the confrontation.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200607/20/200607202240367509900090409041.html 

Chosun Ilbo is writing:

Fears of Bloodshed as Gov’t Vows to Break Up POSCO Strike

..

The striking construction workers.. vowed to fight to the end. The Pohang branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions told reporters it had “no choice but to fight to the death” if Cheong Wa Dae is intent on breaking up the strike by force. That has led to fears of bloodshed when police move in to quell the strike, which they are expected to do on Friday or Saturday.

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200607/200607200014.html

 

본문

It seems that the ruling class - threatening with TERROR - was/is winning this battle.. (???)

AP/Guardian just few minutes ago reported this:

South Korean Workers to Leave Steelmaker

본문

S.K. capitalist class and its instrument of power - a.k.a. the gov't -  is threatening once again with state terror against the working class!

(노무현독재자..??)

The S.K. semi-official news agency Yonhap reported today:

POSCO cuts off water supply to striking workers at head office

POSCO, South Korea's leading steel giant, turned off the water supply at its headquarters in this industrial city Thursday to pressure unionized workers to end their strike at the main office and disband.

The move comes after POSCO already cut the electricity supply Tuesday...

Presidential office warns strikers to leave POSCO building

The office of President Roh Moo-hyun said Thursday the government will sternly punish local construction workers who have illegally occupied the headquarters of steelmaker POSCO in the city of Pohang for eight days.

In a spokesman's statement, Roh's office, Cheong Wa Dae, said the government will deal with the illegal strikers at POSCO strictly in accordance with law and principles.

The statement came as an estimated 1,000 employees of POSCO's construction subcontractors have illegally occupied the POSCO building since July 13 to demand higher wages, improved working conditions and a ban on employment of foreign workers, among others. Pohang is located about 350 km southeast of Seoul.

Their protracted occupation and illegal strike have paralyzed the operations of POSCO, the world's fourth-largest steelmaker, resulting in a blow to its international corporate image.

"The construction workers have occupied the headquarters building of POSCO, which is totally irrelevant to their labor demands, in a violent and illegal manner, paralyzing POSCO's operations over a long period," said the statement read by Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Jung Tae-ho.

"That is an obvious illegality which could have a grave impact on social order and corporate management. Thus, masterminds and participants in the illegal strikes should be sternly punished," he said.

Reflecting the government's growing impatience with the POSCO sit-in, the country's chief of police made it clear that if the construction workers did not leave the building soon, action would be taken to evict them.

"Once safety measures are in place, the police will move into the the building to disband the striking workers," said Lee Taek-soon, head of the National Police Agency, during a visit to the protest site.

"The timing for police action will be decided on by the top police officer in North Gyeongsang Province," he said, calling on the workers to immediately halt their illegal protest and leave the building peacefully.

http://english.yna.co.kr/Engnews/20060720/610000000020060720193241E8.html

And the bourgeois Korea Times will report in its tomorrow's edition:

POSCO Strikers Face Breakup
 
Chong Wa Dae said Thursday that it would employ all possible means to disband construction workers occupying POSCO’s headquarters in Pohang for a week-long strike.

``The government will deal sternly with the illegal occupation in accordance with law and principle,’’ presidential spokesman Jung Tae-ho said in a press briefing after a daily meeting of presidential staffers to check on pending issues.

He added those who are involved in the violent demonstrations and those behind the scenes would be held responsible, while also criticizing the minor opposition Democratic Labor Party (DLP) for supporting the ``illegal acts.’’

Earlier in the morning, Minister of Labor Affairs Lee Sang-soo also expressed his strong will to launch the forceful removal of the workers unless they voluntarily withdraw from the building.

``The current occupation is a clearly illegal union activity. We urge the workers to immediately withdraw from the building,’’ said Lee at a press conference in Kwachon, Kyonggi Province.

``Unless workers do not break up voluntarily, we cannot but resort to forceful removal,’’ he said.

He said it is incomprehensible that the workers are occupying the building of POSCO, Korea’s largest steel maker, as their negotiation partner is not POSCO but a group of Pohang construction companies. Many of the companies are contractors of POSCO and they have been talking over wages and working environment, on the condition that the striking workers give up their control of the building.

``We are currently not in a position to arrange negotiation talks between the construction workers' union and a group of Pohang construction companies,’’ he said. ``We have set up a task force team geared toward addressing irregularities stemming from the complicated subcontracting contracts in the construction industry.’’

About 2,000 workers from subcontractors to POSCO forced themselves into the company's office building on July 13, protesting against management's decision to request police intervention in a strike led by a regional industrial union of construction workers. The police broke in to disband the protesting workers twice to no avail.

However, in response to the government's statement, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) said it will fight till the end until their needs are met. ``We cannot understand the government which calls our occupation of the building as illegal. We will not give up,'' according to its statement.

About 10,000 members of police, including 1,000 members of special crack unit have been around the building getting ready for the confrontation.

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200607/kt2006072018054011990.htm 

THE GOV'T LIKELY IS PREPARING FOR CIVIL WAR, OR WHAT!?

Yesterday's protests and clashes with the state power

(사진: 민중의소리)      

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Here the latest by S.K. newspapers English editions:

Yesterday(7.18) bourgeois daily JoongAng Ilbo wrote following:

Pre-dawn assault on Posco building fails to dislodge entrenched strikers

Police retreated after an unsuccessful attempt to evict 1,500 striking construction workers from the Posco headquarters building in Pohang, North Gyeongsang province. The police, who had seized the lower three floors of the building from strikers over the weekend, moved into the fourth floor, which was empty of protesters, at about 11 p.m. Sunday, and began removing chairs and office furniture that the strikers had used to block the fire stairways between the fourth and fifth floors.

They mounted an assault intended to clear the rest of the building at about 2 a.m. yesterday, but met strong resistance. Police said they were attacked with jury-rigged flamethrowers and barrages of hot water. Four policemen were reportedly treated for burns. They withdrew, they said, because of the danger of a fire in the building ignited by those homemade weapons.

After the assault, about 300 protesters left the building voluntarily, claiming ill health. The other 1,200 remained on the fifth through 12th floors, pelting police with garbage from the roof. Police had allowed food shipments from family members of the strikers to pass through their lines.

The authorities cut off the building's water supply yesterday morning to prevent more scalding water attacks.

Civic groups in Pohang say they have lost patience with the strikers. About 1,500 members of 33 civic groups in the city asked the workers to stop the sit-in and go back to the negotiating table. They planned a rally at a city stadium today to press their demand, and posted signs around the city calling for an end to the dispute.

Park Seung-ho, the city mayor, released a statement yesterday asking the workers to return to their jobs. He said he did not want them to add to the city's economic woes of a population decline and increasing unemployment. The strikers are employees of several small construction companies, all contractors of Posco. Their most recent negotiations with the Korea Specialty Contractors Association over wages and working hours were broken off early Sunday morning.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200607/17/200607172130228809900090409041.html

In today's edition following is written:

Posco occupation drags on through a sixth day

Today's Korea Times is writing this:

Police Gear Up to End Standoff at POSCO

Police in the southeastern city of Pohang are seeking to disband striking subcontracted construction workers who occupied POSCO's headquarters for the sixth straight day yesterday by cutting off electricity and water supplies to the building.

Earlier in the day, the government warned that it would step in to end the standoff if the workers refuse to leave the building voluntarily, saying that the labor strike could significantly hurt the world's fifth largest steel producer.

 

About 2,000 workers from subcontractors to POSCO forced themselves into the company's office building last Thursday, protesting against the management's decision to request police intervention in a strike led by a regional industrial union of construction workers.

The police, who fought over the weekend to gain control over the first four floors of the 12-story property, believe that about 1,000 workers currently remain inside the building.

In an announcement jointly made by the ministers of labor, justice, and government administration and home affairs, the government promised to mediate talks between the construction workers' union and a group of Pohang construction companies, many of them contractors of POSCO, which have been disputing over wages and working conditions of workers, on the condition that the striking workers give up their control of the building.

 

About 7,000 riot police personnel are currently deployed to the POSCO building, according to police.

 

However, the government said it could order law enforcement authorities to force an end to the standoff at POSCO's headquarters if the striking workers refuse to voluntarily leave the building, calling the recent labor actions as ``excessive'' and ``unlawful.''

 

``The construction workers' union has been pushing for a strike against the construction and machinery companies in Pohang, and occupied the headquarters of POSCO, which is not a direct party in the labor strife,'' said Minister of Government Administration and Home Affairs Lee Yong-sup during a news conference held at the central government complex in downtown Seoul yesterday.

 

``Should the striking workers continue their illegal collective actions, there will be no alternative for us but to respond strictly to those actions by law and order. We will allow legal actions but will always restrict illegal actions,'' Lee said.

 

On Monday, POSCO issued a statement condemning the construction workers' occupation of their office building, saying that it will consider requesting law enforcement authorities to cut off electricity and water supplies.

...

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200607/kt2006071818021268040.htm

 

The semi-official news agency Yonhap was reporting yesterday:

Gov't willing to mediate talks if protesters end POSCO strike
. 

 

The riot cops already attacked several times the

striking workers and their supporters

..and many of them were..

..(partly seriously) injured

 

 

About the beginning of the strike Voice of People was writing this notice:

 

Ulsan plant laborers on a general strike

     

The plant construction laborers of Ulsan area has been on a general strike on 5 July, following Pohang area.
  
A labor union of Ulsan plant construction(Chairperson Lee Jong Hwa) had voted for or against actions taken in a labor dispute at the terrace land on the Tae Hwa river from 10 in the morning on this day. The union has started on a strike right after the vote was passed by 783 against to 117.
  
After 1 p.m. on this day, even though the vote was finished, plant laborers of Ulsan area had gathered at the terrace on the Tae Hwa river, and the strike atmosphere was raising because unorganized laborers were submitting applications for joining the union.
  
After 3 p.m., about 1,000 laborers were preparing their fight shouting slogans such as "Let's fight till the end."
  
After last year's general strike, unfair labor practice such as denial employment, enforcing secession the union etc. at the Ulsan area has been continuing so requirement of this strike is focusing on recognizing a labor union and contracting collective bargain. A labor union has been requiring these requirement but the company has been denying even the first meeting for the formal bows.

The labor union of Ulsan plant marched Ulsan downtown from 4:30 p.m. starting at city hall, and then They took part in another assembly for solving larbor suppression and gaining the basic rights of laborers.
 
Before this, construction union of Pohang area(Chair person Lee Ji Kyoung) has been stopping their work 5 days and keeping 4,000 comrades still. Also, other unions of east part of south Cholla and west part of south Kyoungsang will be on a strike right after voting for or against on 8 July.

http://www.vop.co.kr/english/news_view_eng.html?serial=46681

 

A summary of the latest developments in Korean you can read here:

 

[현장] 포항건설노조 포스코 점거 및 영남노동자 결의대회 <30신:기사대체 19일 6시 50분>"머리채를 잡고 바닥에 눕혀 버리고 발로 걷어차는 등 10여 분 동안 경찰에게 폭행을 당했다"고... / 문형구 박경철 기자

"우리 아들 좀 살려주소"...하중근씨 사실상 뇌사 [포토뉴스] 그치지 않는 하중근씨 어머니의 눈물 [화보] 포항에서 임산부 쓰러지다 [1~21신] 포항건설노조 포스코 점거 현장중계① 민주노동당, 포스코 사태 평화적 해결 발벗고 나서 "탈출이라뇨. 나와가 더 열심히 싸워야지요" [화보] 포항 하늘 아래, 죽어서도 잊을 수 없는 투쟁 이상수 "대체인력 투입은 불법...부당노동행위 조치 취하겠다" 포스코 투쟁...임금 84만원 지키기 위한 것

[사진출처=민주노총]
 

본문

Today, 70 Years Ago the

Spanish Civil War Began

At first, for the facts and background please read this on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Civil_War

(More about it I'll post, write in the coming days)

SMASH THE FASCISM!

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The S. Korean ruling class, i.e., its instrument/tool of power, the govt., already since weeks is warning the anti-FTA protest movement to respect f.. "LAW&ORDER". Otherwise they would crackdown... (Yonhap, Chosun Ilbo..)

Yesterday during a press conference in Seoul - near Shilla Hotel(the place where the US delegation found accomodation) - the first time large units of the riot cops were attacking a small group of peacefull protesters and arrested several activists.

Please check out following article (in Korean) by VoP(민중의소리):

한미FTA 협상 첫날 충돌...경찰, 차량 견인 아찔한 상황도 

The report is including a video(한미FTA 협상 첫날 시민사회-경찰 충돌).

For more about the latest developments:

http://www.nofta.or.kr  (Korean Alliance against KorUS FTA)

Here

http://www.nofta.or.kr/webbs/view.php?board=nofta_10&id=80

you can watch a Chamsesang video about the rally in front of Shilla Hotel(riot cops attacks against the activists). 

Meanwhile the govt seems to prepare for a kind of civil war for tomorrow's(7.12) main protest demonstrations in Seoul.

Today's edition of Korea Times is writing following:

Protests to Intensify Over FTA
 

As Korea resumed its talks with the United States over a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) yesterday, anti-globalization activists also made their presence felt, organizing scattered demonstrations in Seoul calling for the government to withdraw from the negotiations.

Aside from some minor scuffles between protestors and riot police most of Monday's rallies ended peacefully, with heavy rain brought by Typhoon Ewiniar preventing large crowds from gathering.

However, law enforcement authorities fear it could be a totally different situation tomorrow with farmers and labor activists scheduling massive rallies in downtown Seoul that are expected to attract tens of thousands.

Dozens of members of the ``Korean Alliance Against Korea-U.S. FTA,'' which represents 282 farmers' organizations, labor unions and civic activist groups, organized a morning rally in front of the Shilla Hotel, downtown Seoul, the venue for the second round of FTA talks. Several were chanting ``Wendy Cutler go home,'' targeting the assistant U.S. trade representative leading the negotiations for her country.

The rally was also joined by leaders of Korea's two flagship labor groups _ the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) _ and a six-man delegation from the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the largest confederation of unions in the U.S.

The labor groups held a joint news conference, claiming a free trade agreement between Korea and the U.S. will hurt employment and threaten the livelihoods of workers in both countries.

Tension rose when riot police engaged in a shoving match with some protestors, including a group of recently-fired Korea Train Express (KTX) female employees who had attempted to hold a separate news conference in front of the Shilla Hotel's main gate. No serious injuries were reported.

More than 3,200 riot police were deployed to the Shilla Hotel and its neighboring areas.

Government officials are now bracing for the possibility of protests intensifying over the week, with anti-globalization activists upping the level of their actions.

Major disruptions are anticipated Wednesday when farmers, labor unionists and civic activists gather for massive rallies in Kwanghwamun and at Seoul City Hall, which organizers hope will lure over 100,000 protestors.

National Police Agency Commissioner-General Lee Taek-soon told reporters Monday he plans to deploy around 25,000 riot police _ about 80 percent of the total capacity of mobile police units in Korea _ to guard Wedneday's demonstration scenes. Police will also restrict traffic in downtown areas, which is expected to increase the congestion on the roads.

``The scale of mobilization would be the largest since the early 1990s, when street protests were violent. We expect to use all of our mobile police personnel, except for the officers guarding airports and harbors, and those deployed in Pusan for the inter-Korean ministerial talks,'' Lee said in a news briefing Monday.

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200607/kt2006071017252810510.htm

In my opinion the govt is not preparing for a carnival, for funny days! So to prevent ROK-US FTA... just let's learn, for example, from the French Anti-CPE struggle, or the Nepalese struggle for democracy during spring(April/May)...

The ruling class will only listen to us when we are loud enough, at any time, on any place! Only if they find no possibility to ingnore our demands, only then, perhaps - if we have enough power - they react how WE want..

"Chief trade negotiator Kim Jong-hoon said 'If our people don't accept the free trade deal with the U.S., the National Assembly won't ratify the accord.' ", Yonhap yesterday wrote. So let them feel very clear that the S. Korean people don't want this kind of FTA!! 

본문

본문

Kim Young-Ri

2006-06-29, Voice of People

△KTX attendants urged Pres. Roh to solve their problem.

ⓒKim Chul Soo, Voice Of People

Attendants of the nation's bullet train, KTX(Korea Train Express) are still on a strike even though media's attention is getting less and less. June 2 was the 115th day since they've been starting there fight.  
  
  Their eyes, ears and mouths are focusing on President Roh Mu Hyun now. They insist that the leader of government, Roh has to be responsible for their reasonable demand if Korea Railroad corporation, the Ministry of labor and the Prime Minister of premier can't solve the problem. They have been demanding that Korea railroad corporation have to employ them directly.    
    
  Following 21, attendants gathered again for protesting in front of Bosingak on Chongno. They urged President Roh to make an effort for solving the problem.
      
  About 200 participants include 100 attendants, attendants' parents and laborers on a indefinite strike marched from Chongno to Yullin Simin Park on Gwanghwamun. They wrote down their hope on yellow balloons and flew it to the sky toward Blue House.
  
  "Don't pretend not to know irregular laborers tear and sorrow any more..."
  "I hope I can step into my KTX again, wearing my uniform . Bring it on until then"
  "Please wipe irregular laborers tears out..."
      
   They said "We are too weak and young to endure exhaustion and complications causing by long term strike. Nevertheless, we will never give up even if the number of our comrades will be getting less and less because our self confidence which is expressed by our demand is so right."
    
   Attendants reported that they were going to keep protesting until Pres. Roh makde announcement about their problem with the variety way such as a one man protest.

△One attendant is writing down her hope on a yellow balloon.

ⓒKim Chul Soo, Voice Of People


△'I will never give up because our demand is so right'

ⓒKim Chul Soo, Voice of People


△One attendant is writing down her hope on a yellow balloon.

ⓒKim Chul Soo, Voice Of People


△'Go the the Blue House and tell Pres. Roh about our tear and sorrow'

ⓒKim Chul Soo, Voice Of People

Documentary by

숲속홍길동同志 (Hong-dongji)

No Cut [KTX 투쟁 ④]

"파업 72일째, 공권력 농성장 침탈 농성자 전원강제연행"
(파업 72일,거점 64일째 5.11일 속보)

More documentaries about the KTX strike by Hong-dongji you can see here:

[KTX 투쟁 ⑤] "정리해고 저지를 위한 힘다지기 투쟁결의문화제"

[KTX 투쟁 ③]"외주위탁 가장한 불법파견에 맞선 투쟁!"

[KTX 투쟁 ②] "농성자 전원 해고통보! 그리고 구청사 재점거"

[KTX 투쟁 ①] "외주용역화에 맞서 투쟁하는 비정규직 노동자!"