Police Conduct Search and Seizure on Construction Union for '1 Night 2 Days Urban Rally'... Suspected Violation of Assembly and Demonstration Act

Police Investigate Circumstances Leading to Nighttime Rally
Conflict Between Government and Opposition Expected to Deepen

The police have launched a forced investigation related to the downtown rally held over one night and two days starting from the 16th of last month.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the morning of the 9th, the Seoul Namdaemun Police Station conducted a search and seizure at the office of the National Construction Workers' Union located in Daerim-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. According to the police, this search and seizure was carried out to investigate the circumstances that led to the nighttime rally.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Construction Union held a one-night, two-day rally in downtown Seoul from the 16th to the 17th of last month. The police reported that the group held an illegal rally beyond the originally reported time of 5 p.m., and have filed charges against a total of 29 people, including 5 members of the KCTU executive committee and 24 union members, for violating the Assembly and Demonstration Act, and are currently investigating.

The police requested KCTU Construction Union Chairman Jang Ok-gi to appear the day before, but Chairman Jang and two other members of the Construction Union executive stated that they would voluntarily appear after completing the funeral of the late Yang Hoe-dong, who self-immolated last month.

Chairman Jang said the day before, "The government is condemning freedom of expression as illegal and demanding that we appear before the police," adding, "Even if someone is imprisoned, they come out to attend a parent's funeral, so as the chief mourner, I think this is very unfair." Ultimately, as the union members did not respond to the police's three requests to appear, it is interpreted that the police proceeded with a forced investigation.