Yoon Calls for 'Eradication of Construction Violence'... Justice Party Asks, "Is the Union a Lever for Approval Ratings?"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] President Yoon Seok-yeol referred to violent acts at construction sites as 'Geonpok' and hinted at a tough response. A joint police and prosecution 'Geonpok Investigation Unit' has even been launched. With moves such as union accounting transparency and hinting at a veto of the 'Yellow Envelope Act,' the government is effectively in an all-out confrontation with labor unions. Thanks to the unions' strong response, his approval rating has surpassed 40% again. The Justice Party and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) are protesting, saying, "He is using the unions as a lever for approval ratings."

On the 22nd, Lee Eun-ju, leader of the Justice Party, said on MBC's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' that "I was stunned by this unprecedentedly oppressive and anti-constitutional neologism," adding, "Viewing labor unions not as partners for dialogue but merely as levers to raise government approval ratings is extremely serious and worrisome."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

After the Cabinet meeting the previous day, President Yoon was briefed on the reality of violence at construction sites and instructed, "Strictly crack down until Geonpok is completely eradicated and firmly establish the rule of law at construction sites." 'Geonpok' is an abbreviation for 'construction site violent acts,' seemingly targeting construction unions. In his remarks at the Cabinet meeting, President Yoon also raised his voice, saying, "At construction sites, entrenched powerful unions still openly engage in illegal acts such as demands for money, forced hiring, and obstruction of construction."

The Justice Party acknowledges that "things that need to be fixed should be fixed," but criticizes the president for personally pressuring the unions. Leader Lee said, "Those issues should be corrected where necessary. The unions themselves should not neglect self-purification efforts. However, it is not right for the president to lead and pressure the unions directly."

President Yoon's 'Geonpok' remarks coincide with his recent emphasis on union accounting transparency and the presidential office's hint at vetoing the 'Yellow Envelope Act.' This aligns with the government's push to accelerate 'labor reform,' its top reform priority, through a tough stance on unions. There is also a critical view that sees this as a means to boost approval ratings. Leader Lee's mention of using unions as a 'lever for government approval ratings' stems from this. Each time a tough stance is taken against unions, conservative support consolidates, and approval ratings rise. When the government took a hard line against the Cargo Solidarity general strike, approval ratings surpassed 40%, after stagnating around 30%, and have recently climbed back into the 40% range.

Han Sang-jin, spokesperson for the KCTU, commented on President Yoon's use of the term 'Geonpok' on YTN's 'News King with Park Ji-hoon,' saying, "President Yoon seems very skilled at creating neologisms," and added, "He is making great efforts to instill such a negative image of the unions by exaggerating the situation at the sites."

The government maintains that it must take the lead for labor reform to succeed. On the same day, Lee Jung-sik, Minister of Employment and Labor, responded to a question on KBS's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs' about whether President Yoon's Geonpok remarks are becoming too political, saying, "The government is taking the lead. Only by doing so can reform succeed," emphasizing, "When the public accepts the reform both substantively and procedurally with legitimacy, we believe reform will succeed. In line with that purpose, we are currently creating reform content and a reform roadmap and are pushing forward without setbacks."