Teachers, officials joined DLP: police
Published: 26 Jan. 2010, 21:15
An investigation into hundreds of members of the Korean Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union and the Korean Government Employees’ Union was launched Monday after police said the members belonged to the minor opposition Democratic Labor Party and have been paying monthly membership dues.
As the investigation continues, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said it is considering expanding the investigation nationwide.
And the Ministry of Public Administration and Security said yesterday it will sack any union member found to belong to the DLP or have financially supported the party - even if they aren’t members.
“The ministry will ask the union members’ workplaces for disciplinary action once it gets the results of the police investigation,” said Jin Seong-tae, an official with the Public Administration Ministry’s ethics committee.
Korean law prohibits public-service workers and teachers from engaging in political activities, and 69 of the 290 union members were asked to appear for questioning by tomorrow, according to officials at the Yeongdeungpo Police Precinct.
“Police obtained proof that [the teachers’ union and government employees’ union members] joined the party membership and have been making political donations after tracing e-mails and bank accounts,” said Park Yong-man, the head of Yeongdeungpo police investigation team.
Park said the DLP will also be investigated soon, as it also violated the law.
The members of both unions are suspected of joining the party and making political donations to it despite their vocations, even though their professions exclude them from political activities. Police said the members had transferred monthly dues and donated political funds to the DLP account.
Both unions criticized the investigation and stressed that they never asked their members to sign up for the DLP or pay membership fees.
Eom Min-yong, a spokesman for the teachers’ union, slammed the government for “trying to link the teachers’ union to a political party so that it could accuse the union’s joint antigovernment statement issued last year as a political activity,” rather than freedom of expression.
Five members of the North Jeolla branch of the teachers union were acquitted in Jeonju District Court on Jan. 19 of issuing a joint statement protesting government policies despite their civil-servant status. The presiding judge said the union members’ activity was constitutional freedom of expression.
By Kim Jeen-kyung, Kim Mi-ju [[email protected]]
As the investigation continues, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said it is considering expanding the investigation nationwide.
And the Ministry of Public Administration and Security said yesterday it will sack any union member found to belong to the DLP or have financially supported the party - even if they aren’t members.
“The ministry will ask the union members’ workplaces for disciplinary action once it gets the results of the police investigation,” said Jin Seong-tae, an official with the Public Administration Ministry’s ethics committee.
Korean law prohibits public-service workers and teachers from engaging in political activities, and 69 of the 290 union members were asked to appear for questioning by tomorrow, according to officials at the Yeongdeungpo Police Precinct.
“Police obtained proof that [the teachers’ union and government employees’ union members] joined the party membership and have been making political donations after tracing e-mails and bank accounts,” said Park Yong-man, the head of Yeongdeungpo police investigation team.
Park said the DLP will also be investigated soon, as it also violated the law.
The members of both unions are suspected of joining the party and making political donations to it despite their vocations, even though their professions exclude them from political activities. Police said the members had transferred monthly dues and donated political funds to the DLP account.
Both unions criticized the investigation and stressed that they never asked their members to sign up for the DLP or pay membership fees.
Eom Min-yong, a spokesman for the teachers’ union, slammed the government for “trying to link the teachers’ union to a political party so that it could accuse the union’s joint antigovernment statement issued last year as a political activity,” rather than freedom of expression.
Five members of the North Jeolla branch of the teachers union were acquitted in Jeonju District Court on Jan. 19 of issuing a joint statement protesting government policies despite their civil-servant status. The presiding judge said the union members’ activity was constitutional freedom of expression.
By Kim Jeen-kyung, Kim Mi-ju [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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