Court Orders MB Government to Pay 260 Million Won Compensation for 'Union Busting'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Su-yeon] A ruling has been made ordering the state to compensate labor unions a total of 260 million KRW for union-busting acts during the Lee Myung-bak administration.

The Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 30 (Presiding Judge Jung Chan-woo) ruled on the 8th in a damages lawsuit filed by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (Jeon-gyo-jo), and the Korean Government Employees' Union (Jeon-gong-no) against the state, partially siding with the plaintiffs.

The court stated, "The acts of public officials urging union membership or withdrawal and defaming unions through the media infringe upon the unions' rights, including the right to organize." It ordered the state to compensate KCTU 100 million KRW, Jeon-gyo-jo 70 million KRW, Jeon-gong-no 50 million KRW, the Korean Metal Workers' Union 30 million KRW, and the Seoul Transportation Corporation Labor Union 10 million KRW.

KCTU filed the lawsuit in June 2018 after allegations of union-busting operations by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Ministry of Employment and Labor were revealed through audits and prosecution investigations.

Later in December of the same year, prosecutors indicted former NIS Director Won Sei-hoon and former Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Chae-pil on charges of illegally using NIS special activity funds to support the establishment of the third union federation, the National Labor Union Federation. Former Director Won was sentenced to nine years in prison with seven years of disqualification for this case, political manipulation orders, and embezzlement of special activity funds, while former Minister Lee received a one-year prison sentence with a two-year suspended sentence.

Meanwhile, the KCTU Legal Office stated in a press release, "This ruling is significant in confirming the truth about the union-busting operations carried out during the Lee Myung-bak administration. It also offers many implications for the current political climate." It added, "The state's coordinated efforts to obstruct and neutralize legitimate union activities are no different from the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's stance during the Cargo Solidarity strike. If the current trend of union suppression continues, further liability for damages may arise in the future."