Around 10,000 Expected at Rally During Rush Hour
Concerns Over Physical Clashes Between Police and Protesters
Amid police warnings of a tough response, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) is preparing a large-scale downtown rally.
On the 31st at 4 p.m., the KCTU will hold a 'Warning Strike Resolution Rally' with around 20,000 union members participating in the Sejong-daero area of Seoul. The KCTU has announced an intense struggle, accusing the government of implementing 'anti-labor policies' and the police of conducting 'targeted investigations.'
After being harshly criticized by the ruling party and government for their lukewarm response to the KCTU Construction Union's overnight sit-in on the 16th and 17th, the police have changed their stance, making this large-scale rally their first major test.
The 'head-to-head' confrontation could occur in the heart of the city during weekday rush hour. Tensions are further heightened as three KCTU officials face police summons on June 1, the day after the rally, related to the Construction Union's overnight sit-in. The KCTU is taking a hardline stance, accusing the police of distorting a lawful nighttime cultural event as an illegal assembly and attempting to completely block labor organizations' rallies by using overnight sit-ins?which are subject only to fines under the Road Traffic Act or considered minor offenses?as a pretext.
Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a rally around Sejong-daero in Seoul on the 17th, shouting slogans demanding the resignation of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@
On this day, the Construction Union and Metalworkers' Union under the KCTU, which have recently been in sharp conflict with the police, plan to hold separate rallies before joining the main event, raising tensions. The Construction Union plans to finish a government condemnation rally with about 10,000 members near the Presidential Office in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, starting at 2 p.m., then join the main rally. The Metalworkers' Union, conducting a partial strike that day, will hold a general strike resolution rally with about 3,000 members in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Seodaemun-gu at the same time before joining the main event.
The police have stated that if participants occupy all lanes of the road causing traffic congestion or deviate from the reported rally location, they will immediately disperse the assembly. If participants refuse to disperse and respond physically, the police plan to promptly conduct large-scale on-site arrests.
The riot police unit under the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has reportedly been training since the 24th, focusing on dispersing rallies and arresting illegal actors who refuse to disperse, using capsaicin?a natural ingredient extracted from chili peppers?and blocking rally site departures. On the 25th, Police Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun sent a letter to police security units nationwide, stating that previous responses to rallies had been lenient and announcing a strong crackdown policy. He also warned of strong public authority enforcement even at rallies where no violent acts occur. Earlier, on the 18th, he demanded that five executives, including the Construction Union chairman, appear by the 25th, stating, "If they refuse to appear, arrest warrants will be issued and arrests will be made."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
