The National Public Officials Labor Union Gyeongnam Headquarters and the Court Headquarters Changwon Branch have called for legislative amendments to guarantee the basic political rights of public officials, including the right to join political parties.
On September 8, the Gyeongnam Headquarters of the National Public Officials Labor Union and the Changwon Branch of the Court Headquarters held a press conference at the Gyeongnam Provincial Government Press Center, stating, "We can no longer tolerate a reality in which public officials, who dedicate themselves to the nation and its people, are denied their legitimate basic political rights."
The two branches argued, "The Constitution guarantees all citizens basic political rights such as freedom of expression and freedom of association. However, the current National Public Officials Act, Local Public Officials Act, and Public Official Election Act excessively interpret the requirement for political neutrality, unduly restricting the constitutional rights of public officials simply because of their status."
They continued, "Public officials are not even allowed to join political parties, face strict restrictions on political expression and activities, and are prohibited from even the most basic forms of political participation, such as supporting a particular candidate during elections. This is an outdated notion that treats public officials as mere administrative machines," they criticized.
They also stated, "From the perspective of the Constitution's fundamental spirit and the principles of democracy, this is a clear violation of human rights and a regression of democracy."
The National Public Officials Labor Union Gyeongnam Headquarters and the Court Headquarters Changwon Branch are urging legislative amendments to guarantee basic political rights such as public officials' party membership and political expression at the Gyeongnam Provincial Government Press Center. Photo by Lee Seryung
They emphasized, "When public officials cultivate political sensitivity and civic awareness and function as active political agents, the public sector can develop in a more transparent and efficient manner," and called on the National Assembly to fulfill President Lee Jaemyung's presidential campaign pledge to guarantee the basic political rights of public officials and teachers.
They demanded: immediate amendments to the Public Officials Act, the Public Official Election Act, and the Labor Union Act; permission for public officials to join and support political parties; guarantees for political expression and activities; and the concrete implementation of the President's pledge regarding public officials' basic political rights.
The union announced plans to secure the guarantee of public officials' basic political rights within this year by collecting signatures of consent from party leaders and lawmakers through meetings in September, and by staging joint actions in October such as protests in front of the National Assembly, large-scale rallies, and wearing white to work.
Kang Sudong, head of the Gyeongnam Headquarters, said, "Because of the obligation of political neutrality, public officials cannot engage in political activities, cannot even 'like' political content on social networking services, and cannot express political opinions. We can no longer live as half-citizens, half-members of the nation."
He added, "Public officials should simply maintain neutrality in the performance of their duties. Electioneering or political activities during work hours or using one's official position should, of course, be prohibited, but political activities should be permitted outside of work hours and in private domains."
He also noted, "Currently, even if there is corruption among local government heads or internal irregularities within the public sector, we cannot properly express ourselves. If freedom of political expression is allowed, it will help promote internal self-purification and reform."
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