The Korean Federation of Trade Unions, which decided on the 7th to suspend participation in the Economic, Social and Labor Committee, held a rally in Yeouido, Seoul on the afternoon of the 10th. Protesters partially occupied Yeoui-daero and smoked in various places, such as Yeouido Park, a nearby non-smoking area.
At 2:00 pm on the same day, 14,000 participants in the FKTU assembly, estimated by the police, occupied five lanes 350m from the southern end of the Mapo Bridge in Seoul towards the Yeouido Transport Center. The Members say, ‘Extend supply and demand control. I heard a picket that read, ‘Survivor’.
Lim Yeong-taek, chairman of the Remicon Union, came to the stage and said, “Isn’t he dissatisfied that the shipping cost has risen recently?” Min Han-ki, general secretary of the Korean Federation of Trade Unions, also said, “We will fight for the extension of supply and demand control of the premixed concrete transport union and the survival rights, and we will win.”
Citizens who visited Yeouido and parks over the weekend complained of inconvenience. Although it was a non-smoking zone in the park, some union members sat on benches or stood next to trees to smoke, raising eyebrows from citizens and children who came out. The occupation of the road caused traffic jams in Yeouido. According to Seoul Metropolitan Government Road Traffic Information (TOPIS), at around 2:00 pm on the same day, the vehicle speed from the south end of Mapo Bridge to Yeouido Transportation Center was 10 km/h, and the vehicle speed from Yeouido Park to Center Yeouido transport at 4 km per hour.
The Korean Federation of Trade Unions held a press conference in front of the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul on the 8th and said, “From this moment on, the Korean Federation of Trade Unions declares a full-scale fight against the Yoon’s tyranny . Seok-yeol’s regime.” said This is the first time in 7 years and 5 months that the Korean Federation of Trade Unions has declared not to participate in the Labor Relations Commission. The Korea Federation of Trade Unions said the decision to stop the talk was made by police excessively restraining Kim Joon-yeong, secretary general of the Korea Metal Workers Union, during a sit-in last month.
On the night of the 29th of last month, General Secretary Kim Joon-young occupied four of the six-lane roundabout in front of the Gwangyang Steel Works in Jeollanam-do, erected a 7m high steel structure without permission, and held a sit-in at a high altitude on it, demanding to ‘guarantee three labor rights for sub-contract workers’. The police voluntarily requested the demolition of the illegal steel structure, saying it was obstructing traffic, but General Secretary Kim refused. Instead, the union tried to deliver a 20L diesel barrel to General Secretary Kim, which was on top of a steel structure, by tying it to a rope.
Accordingly, on the 31st of last month, the police arrested General Secretary Kim in an emergency. A police official said, “General Secretary Kim threatened the police by waving a 29 cm ‘jungle sword’ several times, telling them not to approach the police.” During this process, General Secretary Kim was hit in the head and bled, and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The police have booked General Secretary Kim on charges of obstructing general traffic, obstructing special public affairs from being carried out, and violating the Assembly and Exhibition Act. After the arrest of General Secretary Kim, the watch tower was demolished.
