Korea: Hypocrisy exposed - Samsung boss walks free while union leaders denied justice
Brussels, 9 February 2018 (ITUC OnLine): Trade unions around the world are today demanding the immediate release of KCTU
President Han Sang-gyun from prison, and the withdrawal of the charges against the former General Secretary of KCTU, Lee
Young-joo, as international attention turns to Korea with the start of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
This week an appeal court in Seoul, South Korea controversially freed Samsung Electronics' Vice-Chairman, Lee Jae-yong,
after barely a year in jail, while justice is denied for trade union leaders.
Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary said, "Samsung operates above the law in too many countries, denying rights and
justice to millions of workers. Lee Jae-young could now be acquitted of charges for corruption of billions of dollars,
and is free to oversee Samsung's business empire, while trade union leaders are detained and have threatened with
charges fighting for the rights of 6.4 million irregular workers earning barely US$6.90 an hour. Only by immediately
President Han, and withdrawing the charges against former General Secretary Lee will South Korea re-build trust in
justice, rights and freedom for working people."
Han Sang-gyun has now been imprisoned for nearly two years simply for exercising his democratic right to freedom of
association and peaceful assembly. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has noted that Han's deprivation of
liberty is arbitrary and has called for his immediate release and compensation. It has further requested the government
of Korea to avoid the abuse of criminal proceedings in the context of peaceful protests. Despite the repeated calls of
international trade unions, Han was not included in the special pardon granted by the Korean President last December.
Instead, on 31 December 2017, former KCTU General Secretary Lee Young-joo was arrested in the hospital by the police
after a ten-day hunger strike at the headquarters of the ruling Democratic Party to end her self-imposed house arrest.
Both Han and Lee have been charged over their role in the people's rally on 14 November 2015. The rally was organised to
protest against the former Park Geun-hye government's regressive labour law reform to further casualise labour, which
the new government of President Moon pledged to end.
Lee Young-joo was dismissed as a teacher in 2016, and the Korean Teachers' Union - de-certified by the Park Geun-hye
government - has not been able to have its certification reinstated under Moon Jae-in's government. Lee will be sent for
trial between February and March.
The international trade union movement welcomed the election of President Moon Jae-in and had expected him - as a former
human rights lawyer - to implement his campaign promises by revoking the anti-labour policies of the Park Geun-hye
government, ratifying ILO Conventions 87 and 98, and releasing Han Sang-gyun. President Moon has yet to fulfill these
commitments.