KBS Radio Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs Interview
"Excessive Suppression Reminds of Late Farmer Baek Nam-gi and Ssangyong Motor"
Yang Kyung-soo, chairman of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), evaluated on the 2nd that "the Yoon Suk-yeol administration feels like a combination of the Jeon Du-hwan regime, the Lee Myung-bak regime, and the Park Geun-hye regime," calling it "extremely violent."
On the same day, Chairman Yang appeared on KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strongest Current Affairs' and said, "While the Jeon Du-hwan regime directly killed the people with guns and knives, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is driving them to death," adding, "Even though people sacrificed their lives in Itaewon, and despite the public suffering from livelihood difficulties and jeonse fraud, no measures are being taken, and workers are being directly attacked and driven to death. Although the form is different, it is a regime that kills the people."
Regarding the ruling party's claim that "the Moon Jae-in government turned a blind eye to illegal acts by labor unions and is now in the process of establishing the rule of law," he responded, "I was imprisoned during the Moon Jae-in government, so I don't know what they mean by turning a blind eye." Chairman Yang explained, "At that time, about 2,000 police officers raided the KCTU office at dawn, and I was arrested. Both the KCTU chairmen before me and I were imprisoned during the Moon Jae-in government."
Regarding the controversy over the police's excessive suppression of officials from the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), he said, "The public who saw that scene probably recalled past incidents such as the Yongsan eviction disaster, the violent suppression of Ssangyong Motor workers, and the death of the late farmer Baek Nam-gi from water cannons."
Chairman Yang said, "It is too severe to suppress a worker who climbed alone to a high place without a railing and tried to make his claim known by brutally beating his head until it was covered in blood," adding, "I worry that tragic incidents from the past might happen again under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration."
He continued, "When people try to commit suicide by climbing high-rise buildings or bridges over the Han River, the police and firefighters usually go and persuade them," and said, "But in the video, there is no such attempt; they immediately try to suppress the person, which seems intentional."
Earlier, on the 31st of last month, controversy arose over excessive suppression after Kim Jun-young, secretary-general of the Korean Metal Workers' Union Federation under the FKTU, who was conducting a high-altitude sit-in protest in front of POSCO Gwangyang Steelworks in Jeonnam, was injured by a police baton.
Regarding the current conflict between labor and government, Chairman Yang said, "It seems that the government is provoking conflict to strengthen presidential power and maintain its rule," adding, "In our history, no regime has ever defeated the people. If the government continues this attitude, it will ultimately lead to the downfall of the regime."
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