Kyunghyong "Minnochoong Again Announces Illegal Rally... Serious Challenge to Rule of Law"

KCCI "Minnochoong Held 3 Illegal Rallies Last Year and Forced Another This Year"
"Citizen Inconvenience, Infectious Disease Spread Concerns"... Government Must Respond Strictly

Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) held the "10·20 KCTU General Strike Rally" at the Seodaemun Station intersection in Seoul on the 20th, urging the abolition of discrimination against workplaces with fewer than five employees, the elimination of irregular workers, and the securing of union activity rights for all workers. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The Korea Employers Federation (KEF) criticized the large-scale rally planned by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) scheduled for the 13th of this month and urged the government to take strict measures.

In a statement released on the 12th, KEF said, "Holding another illegal rally amid ongoing concerns about the spread of COVID-19 is a serious challenge to the rule of law and disregards the efforts of the government and citizens who are doing their best to prevent infectious diseases." It added, "The business community expresses concern over KCTU's plan to hold a large-scale rally in downtown and calls for its cancellation."

KEF stated, "Despite the severe COVID-19 crisis last year, KCTU held three illegal rallies (on July 3, October 20, and November 13), and this year also held one illegal rally (on January 15)." It claimed, "Due to KCTU's sudden large-scale illegal rally, citizens experienced significant inconvenience from traffic paralysis, and self-employed and small business owners faced difficulties in operating their businesses."

KEF urged the government, "If KCTU proceeds with the illegal rally, we hope that appropriate responsibility will be held to prevent further spread and recurrence of illegal acts."

It also called on the new government to establish the rule of law in industrial sites. KEF emphasized, "We expect the upcoming new government to uphold the rule of law through strict law enforcement against illegal acts, as promised by President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol."

Earlier, on the 8th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government sent an official letter to KCTU notifying the prohibition of the rally on the 13th, citing the high possibility of the rally expanding into a large-scale gathering and serious concerns about the spread of COVID-19. However, KCTU plans to proceed with the rally as scheduled. The police estimate about 10,000 participants.