Police Conduct Search and Seizure at 10 Locations Including the Office of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions over 'Illegal Political Funds Allegations' (Update)

The police are accelerating their investigation into the illegal activities of the labor union.

Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Construction Union held placards in front of the Seoul Gyeonggi Northern Branch office of the KCTU Construction Union in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on the morning of January 19, while a search and seizure was underway. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has been conducting a search and seizure operation since 9 a.m. on the 24th against the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Construction Union, which is suspected of violating the Political Funds Act.

The KCTU Construction Union is accused of providing illegal donations worth approximately 60 million won to the then progressive party, the Minjung Party (currently the Progressive Party), through its members in December 2019, ahead of the 21st National Assembly elections.

On this day, the police dispatched investigators to 10 locations, including the Seoul-Gyeonggi Northern Construction Branch and Gyeonggi Construction Branch under the KCTU Construction Union, as well as the residences of union executives, to secure accounting books and computer hard disks.