Police, unionists clash over memorial during mass rally

Social Affairs

Published: 01 Jun. 2023, 16:50

Police, unionists clash over memorial during mass rally

Police dismantle the memorial tent abruptly installed by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions near Cheonggye Plaza in central Seoul to commemorate the death of a Korean Construction Workers' Union official on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

Physical clashes between the police and labor unionists took place Wednesday night as labor unionists erected a memorial altar to commemorate the death of a union member who set himself on fire to protest the Yoon Suk Yeol government’s crackdown on labor unions.

Police arrested four Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) members at the site, accusing them of physically assaulting and disrupting officers as they attempted to block unionists from erecting the altar.

The unionists suddenly erected a memorial altar for KCTU official Yang Hee-dong at around 6:40 p.m., ahead of its planned protest with some 1,800 members near the Seoul Finance Center building in Jung District, central Seoul at 7 p.m.

The KCTU voluntarily ended the rally at around 8:30 p.m.

Yang was an official at the KCTU-affiliated Korean Construction Workers’ Union who died after he set himself on fire on May 1 while being investigated for allegedly extorting millions of won from several construction projects through blackmail.

“We can never forgive the police, who do not even let us commemorate the death [of our deceased member] with a memorial altar,” a labor unionist was quoted as saying, as the union began to pay silent respects to Yang.

Four members of the labor union were injured, with three sent to the hospital for treatment, the KCTU said.

The unionists initially planned to march to the National Police Agency in Seodaemun District, western Seoul after ending their rally at 8 p.m., which was withdrawn due to concerns of physical altercations with the police.

The KCTU’s large-scale rally, which involved some 20,000 members, began at three locations in downtown Seoul on Wednesday at 2 p.m. The rally was expected to continue throughout the night but ended about six hours later, in contrast to the overnight protests that the union staged on May 16 and 17 in multiple locations in Seoul.

A total of 80 riot officers from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency were dispatched to control the rallies.

The union also criticized the police as they were equipped with pepper spray. Commissioner General Yoon Hee-keun of the National Police Agency had issued multiple warnings that the irritant could be used to disperse illegal protests.

The following day, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung lambasted the Yoon government, sharing a video on his Facebook page that captured physical altercations during the rally.

“The Yoon government had already produced a laborer's death [...] through a harsh investigation,” Lee wrote.

“The government’s role is to resolve conflicts and protect the people, not physically assaulting them.”

Last week, President Yoon harshly criticized the KCTU for disrupting public order and violating people’s rights with illegal rallies.

The president has taken a strong stance against illegal union activities.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]