Coins Scattered on the Road, Threats and Assaults... There Were Real Gangsters Among the 'Geonpok'

Police Refer 102 for Special Bomb Threat Crackdown, Detain 29
Threats of "I'll Kill You" Following Protest Announcements

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] "The construction union mobilized over 100 vehicles to drive slowly and block the entry of ready-mix concrete trucks, scattered hundreds of 10-won coins on the road in front of the main gate, and then slowly picked them up, engaging in illegal activities for a whole year. The construction was delayed by 3 to 4 months compared to the plan."

On the 9th, Mr. Jeong (45), a site manager of a specialized construction company, stated this in an interview with Asia Economy. Mr. Jeong experienced obstruction of work by the union for about 1 year and 3 months from 2021 until March last year at an apartment construction site in Yangju and Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. Officials of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) construction union were sent to the prosecution on charges of obstructing construction 26 times in total.

Mr. Lim Suhyun (57), vice president of World Plan, also said, "They left on their own, then came back after changing their affiliated union and asked to be rehired," adding, "They demanded 300 to 500 million won as severance pay." It is known that some union members even assaulted the company representative at the site during this process.

Such illegal activities by unions, including forced hiring and demands for full-time fees, have become widespread at construction sites. Construction companies have suffered delays and economic damage due to union threats and obstruction of work.

Police Crackdown on Construction Violence: 102 Sent to Prosecution, 29 Detained

The National Police Agency announced on the 9th that during the special crackdown period on violent acts at construction sites from December last year to this month, 2,863 people were investigated and 102 were sent to the prosecution. Among them, 29 were detained. The main targets of the crackdown were ▲forced hiring and equipment use ▲extortion of money such as full-time fees ▲obstruction of work ▲assault and threats ▲illegal assemblies and protests.

By type, extortion of money under various names such as full-time fees and monthly fees accounted for 75.2%, the highest proportion. Obstruction of work such as blocking entry (10.5%), forced hiring and equipment use of affiliated members (9.9%), violent acts (3.7%), and illegal assemblies and protests (0.5%) followed. 77% of the total belonged to the two major trade union federations, while 23% belonged to minor unions and environmental groups.

It was confirmed that 86% of cases were initiated through police crime intelligence collection. Complaints and 112 emergency calls accounted for 14%. A National Police Agency official said, "This is the result of designating it as a planned intelligence theme and persuading victims who were reluctant to report."

Gangster Involvement: "I'll Kill You, We Will Take Collective Action at Protests"

According to the police, the construction union used the issue of illegal foreign employment as leverage or threatened construction companies by announcing protest notifications. In the Chungbuk and Gyeonggi areas, there were cases where active gangsters directly participated in illegal activities.

The Violent Crime Investigation Unit of the Southern Gyeonggi Police Agency recently arrested Mr. Yoo, a member of the J faction of a violent organization in Incheon, on charges of joint extortion under the Act on Punishment of Violent Crimes. Yoo is accused of threatening to hold long-term protests and continuously file complaints if their pump car was not used at an apartment construction site in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, extorting a total of 11 million won under the name of full-time fees. Yoo was also confirmed to have boasted as the legal director of the Gyeongin headquarters. A police official explained, "We are also investigating connections with other gangsters, including members within the gang."

In the Chungbuk area, gangster members falsely established a union and extorted 81 million won in monthly fees by threatening to report illegal foreign employment at eight construction sites.

In Yangju and Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, some union members blocked ready-mix concrete truck passage by scattering hundreds of 10-won coins near the entrance and slowly picking them up. There were also cases of confiscating tools from site workers or threatening collective action through protests. Some unions even made extreme threats such as "I'll kill you."

The government is determined to eradicate illegal and unfair practices at construction sites. The National Police Agency plans to establish a comprehensive analysis team within the Major Crime Investigation Division to closely analyze the flow of funds in major cases and uncover organizational orders from higher-level groups.

Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, emphasized, "We define violent acts at construction sites as a deep-rooted evil that must be eradicated, and the police will definitely root out illegality and disorder," adding, "We will greatly expand the number of special promotions to boost investigators' morale and do our best to ensure the police play a central role."