Gwangju Police Take Strict Legal Action Against Minnochoeng for Violating Quarantine Rules

Large-scale rallies held at 14 locations nationwide... 3,000 gather in downtown Gwangju

The Gwangju Headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a general strike rally titled "Overcoming Inequality and a Great Transition to an Equal Society" at 2 p.m. on the 20th in front of Gwangju City Hall, with over 3,000 union members in attendance. Photo by Jo Hyung-joo

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] The Gwangju Police plan to take legal action against the Gwangju branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) for forcibly holding a large-scale general strike rally.

On the 20th, the Gwangju Police Agency announced that it intends to take legal action against the executive members of the Gwangju branch of the KCTU for violating regulations prohibiting assemblies of more than 50 people.

They also plan to apply charges for violating the Assembly and Demonstration Act, as the rally was held with a number of participants exceeding the reported number, and the participants did not comply with the dispersal order.

Currently, under the social distancing level 3 measures, the number of participants allowed at assemblies is limited to 49.

However, on the same day at 2 p.m., the Gwangju branch of the KCTU held a general strike rally titled "Overcoming Inequality and a Great Transition to an Equal Society" in front of Gwangju City Hall, attended by about 3,000 union members.

The police plan to utilize a dedicated investigation team composed of 27 members, including the head of investigations from the Western Police Station, to meticulously analyze the collected evidence and conduct investigations such as summoning key illegal actors.

The Gwangju Police stated, "We will strictly and promptly take legal action against assemblies and demonstrations that pose risks to citizens' lives and bodies, such as concerns over the spread of infectious diseases."

The rally was held simultaneously in 14 regions nationwide, including Gwangju, under themes such as "Abolishing Discrimination Against Workplaces with Fewer Than Five Employees" and "Securing Workers' Rights to Unionize."

The Gwangju branch of the KCTU demanded ▲ the abolition of irregular employment, ▲ the elimination of discrimination against workplaces with fewer than five employees, ▲ securing workers' rights to unionize, ▲ stopping unilateral dismissals and restructuring, ▲ recovering unearned income from real estate speculation and expanding public rental housing, and ▲ calling for the dismantling of the inequality system and the promotion of an equal society.