Prosecutors Indict 3 Cargo Solidarity Union Members for Shooting Steel Balls at Non-Union Truck Drivers

CCTV Captures Slingshot Practice Before the Crime

A branch chief of the Cargo Solidarity Busan Regional Headquarters practicing slingshot shooting before the crime, captured on CCTV./Photo by Busan District Prosecutors' Office Western Branch

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] Union members who fired steel balls at trucks driven by non-union workers during the strike of the Cargo Solidarity Headquarters of the Public Transport Workers' Union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions have been brought to trial.

The Criminal Division 3 of the Western Branch of Busan District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Jong-pil) announced on the 28th that they have arrested and indicted Branch Chief A (48) of the Busan Regional Headquarters of the Cargo Solidarity on charges including assault on a driver under the Act on Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, special property damage, and obstruction of business, and have indicted two organizational chiefs without detention.

They are accused of firing steel balls twice with slingshots at trucks driven by non-union members while traveling in a van around Busan New Port at approximately 7:12 a.m. and 7:15 a.m. on the 26th of last month, damaging the front windshield of the trucks, injuring one driver, and obstructing cargo transportation operations.

At the time of the incident, Branch Chief A was found to have directly fired the steel balls from the back seat of the van, while the other organizational chiefs were either driving or sitting in the front passenger seat.

Earlier, the police and prosecutors conducted searches of the union branch offices to which they belonged and intensively analyzed CCTV footage from the Busan New Port area to identify the van used in the crime and the suspects, leading to the arrest of A and two others on the 2nd.

Analysis of the CCTV footage revealed that around 6:52 a.m. on the day of the crime, the 26th of last month, A met in front of a truck and conspired to commit the crime after about 10 minutes of conversation, during which A even practiced firing the slingshot.

Furthermore, through analysis of CCTV footage from the time of the crime and the black box footage of the victim trucks, it was confirmed that A and others fired steel balls with slingshots at non-union trucks traveling in the opposite lane while moving in the van.

Additionally, two steel balls found near the crime scene and one steel ball discovered in the back seat of the van operated by A and others during the search were sent to the National Forensic Service for examination, which confirmed that the material and size were identical.

The prosecution stated that the steel balls fired from the slingshot at high speed struck the front windshield of the victim truck, shattering it instantly, and the victim sustained injuries to the neck area requiring two weeks of medical treatment due to the broken glass shards.

A prosecution official said, "This case involves Cargo Solidarity union members obstructing transportation operations by violently firing steel balls at non-union members who did not participate in the collective refusal to transport in order to enforce their interests. From the early stages of the investigation, the prosecution and police cooperated closely to swiftly execute search and arrest warrants and, through meticulous analysis of CCTV footage, uncovered that this was a planned and organized crime."

He added, "Going forward, the prosecution will continue to respond strictly according to law and principles to illegal acts that obstruct the legitimate work of others."

A branch chief of the Cargo Solidarity Busan Regional Headquarters and two others moving in a van, captured in a black box video firing the second steel ball./Photo by Busan District Prosecutors' Office Western Branch