On the 31st of this month, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions plans to hold a large rally in the city center.
However, police have vowed to take a hard line against illegal rallies, raising fears of clashes.
Reporter Kim Tae-won reports.
[Reporter]
More than 20,000 members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions will gather on Sejong-daero in Seoul this week to hold a “warning strike resolution meeting먹튀검증.
“The government is carrying out anti-worker policies and the police are targeting unions,” they say.
In response, the police have warned that they will issue an immediate dispersal order if the union members occupy all lanes of traffic and cause traffic jams, or if they leave the declared rally site.
Earlier, on the 16th, the police were criticized for their lukewarm response to the construction union’s one-night rally, saying that “participants were drinking and urinating on the street.” The police took a hardline stance.
[Yoon Hee-geun / National Police Commissioner (Nov. 18): We will strictly hold those responsible accountable and take special measures to prevent recurrence].
In addition, the National Police Agency organized a drill to disperse illegal gatherings, including capsaicin tear gas, for the first time in six years, and decided to resume the operation of a specialized riot police team.
The President’s office also supported the move, saying it was the government’s responsibility to strictly deal with illegal gatherings of unions.
In response, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) has accused the police of distorting legitimate nighttime cultural festivals into illegal rallies.
They also emphasized that even though there is no problem with road occupations as long as they are reported in advance, the police are using this as an excuse to infringe on the freedom of assembly.
[Han Sang-jin, spokesperson for the Democratic Trade Union Confederation: Have we ever had an unreported rally? The police allowed us to use four lanes, so we reported it, and we rallied there, so what’s illegal about that].
The rally was joined by the Construction Workers’ Union, which has recently been in conflict with the police over so-called “gun violence” rhetoric and union member impersonations.
The day after the rally, a police investigation is scheduled for three KCTU officials in connection with the construction union’s homeless rally.
Ahead of the massive rally, which will be held in the center of the city during weekday rush hour, there are growing fears of clashes amid increasing tensions between the two sides.
I’m Kim Tae-won of YTN.