Court Dismisses Rehearing of JeonGyoJo's 'Unlawful Union Cancellation' Case

Members of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (JeonGyoJo) shouting "Hooray" as they leave the courtroom after the Supreme Court ruling on the appeal trial to cancel the notification of the illegal labor union status at the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, last September / Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The Korea Teachers and Education Workers Union (Jeon-gyo-jo), which gained labor union status last year following the Supreme Court's ruling, had its lawsuit to cancel the notification of being an illegal union against the Ministry of Employment and Labor dismissed by the court.

The Administrative Division 6-1 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judge Hansoon Choi) ruled on the 24th to dismiss Jeon-gyo-jo's lawsuit against the Ministry of Employment and Labor, which requested the cancellation of the illegal union notification. A dismissal means that the court terminates the case without making a judgment because the lawsuit or claim is improper or lacks the necessary requirements.

The court interpreted that since the Ministry of Employment and Labor had already canceled the illegal union notification in September last year in accordance with the Supreme Court's ruling, there was no longer any legal interest in the lawsuit, leading to the dismissal. At that time, the Supreme Court's full bench stated, "Notifying a teachers' union as an illegal union is not merely a deprivation of status but denies the very existence of the union," siding with Jeon-gyo-jo.

The day after the Supreme Court ruling, the Ministry of Employment and Labor canceled the illegal union notification against Jeon-gyo-jo in line with the ruling, and Jeon-gyo-jo restored its union status under the Teachers' Union Act.