At Jongmyo Park, downtown Seoul, over 1,000 unionists gathered to demand the release of imprisoned trade unionists, the withdrawal all the warrants of arrest against union leaders, and the recognition of the Korean Government Employees Union.

The rally, followed by a march to the Myongdong Cathedral, some 4 kilometres away, was organised as a part of the International Day of Action for the Release of Imprisoned Trade Unionists in Korea. The International Day of Action was called by the International Metalworkers Federation (IMF) and the Public Services International (PSI) and endorsed by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). It marks the culmination of the nearly a month-long campaign by the Global Unions initiated by the ICFTU to raise awareness of the trade union repression in Korea. The campaign kicked off to a start on May 30 with the launching of the "Our Team Won't be at the World Cup" poster.

Members of the Korean Government Employees Union, the Kia Motors Workers Union, Hanaro Telecom Workers Union, and activists of all the KCTU-affiliated federations took part in the Korean rally. Some twenty members of the FKTU affiliated Federation of Korean Metalworkers Unions joined the rally.

Mothers of Prisoners of Conscience and Mock Prison Cells Lead the Rally

The rally was addressed by the members of the Council of Families for Democracy, an organisation of the family members of prisoners of conscience. More than ten mothers took the stage and spoke of the continuing arrest and imprisonment under the National Security Act. The arrest and imprisonment of unionists and the repression of the activities of workers are part and parcel of the habit of the government which is afraid of democracy, the family leaders said. One of the mothers from the Council told the story of her prison visit to meet with one of the women workers of the Signetics who was arrested few weeks ago. She told the gathered unionists, "It is the persistence of struggle by people like the Signetics unionists, and people like you who will not tolerate violation of basic rights who will advance the cause of democracy." The mothers joined the rally from their nearly 500th weekly rally for the release of prisoners of conscience.

KCTU prepared a mock prison cell for use in the rally and the march. Prior to the rally, there were fears that clash with police may erupt because the police objected to the mock prison cell as it causes public abhorrence. KCTU decided to ignore the police objection which was delivered to the organisers only few hours before the start of the rally. Despite the fears of police obstruction, the rally and the march went ahead with the mock prison cell. The symbolic act with the mock cell featured two activists cooped up in the small cell in prison garment. The mock cell was decorated with the ICFTU-inspired "Our Team" poster and the IMF-PSI common picket poster for the June 27 International Day of Action. The mock cell led the march.

The rally and the march was decorated with hundreds of the international common posters produced by the ICFTU and the IMF and the PSI.

KCTU Warns the Government of Stepped Up Action

Prior to the rally, the KCTU and the Korean Government Employees Union held a joint press conference to publicise the International Day of Action and to deliver their demands to the government. In the press conference, KCTU Emergency Executive Committee Chairperson Baek Soon-hwan presented a summary of the trade union repression by the Kim Dae Jung government. In four and a half years in office, the currently government has overseen the arrest and imprisonment of 778 trade unionists. This is nearly 150 more than 632 imprisoned in the whole of the five years of the previous government. In this year alone, 92 unionists were arrested and imprisoned. Currently 52 unionists are held in prison, including the KCTU president Dan Byung-ho. [The verdict of the appeals trial is scheduled for July 11 when the judge is expected rule on the prosecutor's demand for 5 year imprisonment sentence.]

Emergency Executive Committee Chairperson Baek Soon-hwan explained that imprisonment and repression are continuing even today. The government has issued warrants of arrest against 20 hospital workers union leaders, 22 leaders of the Doosan Heavy Industry Workers Union, and have already arrested 8 leaders of the taxi workers union in response to their strike in the course of the collective agreement and wage negotiation.

KCTU Chairperson called on the government to end the current repression of the trade union activities. He set a deadline of the first week of July for the government to respond. He announced the plan of the KCTU to step up the intensity of the campaign from the second week of July if the government fails to heed the KCTU's warning. He indicated that the KCTU will target the upcoming by-elections and the presidential election to press the government to change its labour policies and behaviour. Chairperson Baek called on the government to "make best of the broad unity of purpose and spirit garnered by the World Cup campaign to heal the would and pains suffered by workers who have been the worst victims of the economic crisis. If the government turns its back on this last opportunity, then the trade union movement has no choice but to step up its action against the government."

Some of the Actions in Other Countries

Brussels: international trade union delegation called on the Korean embassy to register its protest and deliver its demand. Australian and Canadian union leaders who were attending the ICFTU steering committee meeting joined Belgian trade union leaders, representatives of the ICEM, ICFTU Human and Trade Union Rights coordinators, and the ICFTU regional organisations APRO and ORIT in the meeting with the Korean embassy representatives.

Geneva: a joint IMF-PSI delegation together with the representatives of the Swiss trade union called on the Korean Mission in Geneva to deliver a letter of protest. In Geneva and Brussels, leaders of six Global Union members took part in the action. In Geneva, the IMF, PSI, IUF, PSI, UNI, and ICFTU representatives, including PSI general secretary Hans Engelberts, IUF general secretary Ron Oswald, ICFTU Geneva representative Dan Cunniah, showed 'red card' to the Korean embassy representative as he came out to meet with the global unions leaders delivering the protest letter. The IMF general secretary Marcello Malentacchi led the protest action organised by the Geneva-based global union federations and the local trade union movement activists. (For details and photos, click here.)

Germany: the IG-Metall, a member of the German Confederation of Trade Unions (DGB) and an affiliate of the IMF was a key organiser of a demonstration in front of the Korean embassy. They were joined by other unions and Koreans living and studying in Germany. The latter group produced special leaflets to distribute to the Korean community when its members gathered to watch the Korean national football team play in the World Cup. Mrs Ursula Engelen-Kefer, the vice-president of the DGB addressed the demonstration.

Malaysia: some 100 unionists led by the Malaysian affiliates of the IMF held a demonstration in front of the Korean embassy. The ambassador refused to meet with the leaders of IMF Malaysia Council, only agreeing to receive a letter of protest outside the gate of the Embassy. The demonstration received wide media attention, including the major international news agencies. (Full coverage, here.) 30 representatives of public sector unions affiliated to the PSI (Malayan Nurses Union, Junior Officers Union Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Amalgamated Union of Employees in Government Clerical and Allied Services, Amalgamated Union of Tenaga Nasional Berhad, University of Malaya General Staff Union, and University Hospital Staff Union) called on the Korean embassy and met with the Ambassador's representative to deliver a protest statement.

Japan: a delegation of the Japanese affiliates of the IMF, led by Hisashige Danno, Deputy General Secretary, IMF-JC, called on the Korean embassy to deliver a letter of protest from the IMF-JC president Katsutoshi Suzuki to President Kim Dae Jung. At the meeting, the Korean embassy representatives asserted that workers who are imprisoned were not imprisoned because of their trade union activities but because their activities violated existing laws, such as acts of violence. The delegation pointed out that the ILO and other international bodies, and the international trade union movement organisation have already made clear that the laws the Korean government are using against the unionists need to be abolished. (Full coverage, here.)

On June 28, a delegation of the PSI-JC representatives, the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (JTUC-Rengo), and the Japanese affiliates of the IMF, ITF, EI, and IFBWW, led by Kenzo Maruyama (JTUC-Rengo vice-president, JPSU president, PSI executive board member), met with the Korean embassy representative to deliver the protest of the Japanese trade union movement against the Korean government repression of trade union rights. The delegation was organised following a two-day Central Committee meeting.

Pakistan: All Pakistan Trade Union Federation, in the context of the government prohibition against holding a protest rally in front of the Korean embassy, has organised "gate meetings" in front of a number of factories in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and other cities of Punjab. In these meetings, the APTUF highlighted the struggle of Korean workers and called for the release of imprisoned Korean trade unionists, including the KCTU president Dan Byung-ho.

India: At 12:45, 50 people, from Food Corporation of India Employees Union, All India Cantonment Board Employees Federation, Delhi Transport Corporation Employees Congress, All India National Life Insurance Employees Federation, including the Secretary of the PSI Co-ordinating Committee, PSI Southasia Subregional Secretary, and Asia Pacific Women Education Project Co-ordinator, held a demonstration in front of the Korean Embassy at Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. The unionists held out a big red banner reading, "Free Korean Trade Unionists" and many placards demanding "STOP HARASSMENT OF UNIONS", "RELEASE TRADE UNION LEADERS", "STOP THE SUPPRESSION". They gave out leaflets to citizens in the vicinity.

Philippines: Alliance of Progressive Labor, a labor center of trade unions and other organizations of working people in the private and informal sectors in the Philippines, and CIU organised a picket of the South Korean embassy in Makati to denounce the anti-union policies of President Kim Dae-jung. During the protest action, APL and CIU representatives handed over to an embassy representative their letters of protest addressed to Pres. Kim Dae-Jung. They denounced the Korean government for its "blind obedience to neoliberalism and for using brutalities against organized labor, methods used by his fascist predecessors". (Full coverage, here)

Indonesia: IMF-affiliate, FSPMI, organised a demonstration was held in front of the South Korean Embassy in Jakarta. Five trade union representatives met the Labour attache and delivered a protest letter to President Kim Dae-jung. (Full coverage, here.)

Thailand: Chanting and waving placards featuring the Action Day poster, representatives from numerous affiliates of the International Metalworkers Federation and the Public Service International stretched a huge banner that spelled out their message across the embassy entrance. Although the embassy had denied advance requests for a meeting, the size and spirit of the demonstration convinced them to receive a three member delegation. Some 70 unionists continued the action while the delegation met with the Consul General. IMF representatives, Peter Unterweger from the Secretariat in Geneva and Arunasalam of the South East Asia Regional Office, took part in the action. (IMF coverage, here.)

Earlier on June 17, as a part of the International Day of Action, participants of the Asia-Pacific Regional Network Meeting for the Electric Power Industry of the ICEM held a demonstration to condemn the Korean government for the dismissal of Korean electricity workers. More than 100 unionists marched to the Korean embassy in downtown Bangkok and presented a letter containing their demands for the "immediate and unconditional release" of union leaders imprisoned in Korea. Taking part in the demonstration were power union leaders from Thailand, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Nepal, Vietnam, Fiji, Australia, India, and Korea. The demonstration was led by ICEM-affiliated Thai EGAT power workers union and Bangkok Metropolitan Electricity Authority Union, Labour Confederation of Thailand, and other labour activists. A Korean embassy representative angered the labour leaders by claiming the jailed Korean unionists were "criminals". (ICEM coverage, here.)

Australia: In Sydney today 100 people took part in a demonstration out the front of the South Korean Consulate, calling for the immediate release of imprisoned trade unionists in South Korea. A delegation of union representatives meet with the Consul and handed over a personal letter to President Kim Dae-jung, requesting the release of trade unionists and the recognition of fundamental workers' rights in South Korea. A petition of 2000 signatures, and one hundred personalised letters to the President, gathered from unionists around Australia, were also presented to the South Korean Consul in Sydney. In Western Australia, the Unions-WA - the regional organisation of the Australian Council of Trade Unions - led a protest rally outside Daewoo Motors in Victoria Park, attracting a great deal of media coverage. Similar action was organised by the Australian IMF-affiliate AMWU in Brisbane. Action in Melbourne is in preparation for next week. (Full coverage, here.)

Sweden: The Swedish metalworkers' union held a protest action, attended by 50 unionists, outside the South Korean Embassy in Stockholm. Trade unionists, dressed as footboll referees, issued red cards to the embassy staff when they came to work in the morning. SIF, another Swedish IMF-affiliate delivered a protest letter to the Embassy. The event was covered by the Swedish television and the Swedish radio. (Full coverage, here.)

USA: UAW organised two demonstrations, including a protest action in Washington, D.C. A delegation of the UAW and the AFL-CIO leaders met with the Korean embassy to convey the demand of the U.S. labour movement for the release of the KCTU president Dan Byung-ho and all other imprisoned trade unionists, and for an end to the Korean government's its repression of trade unions. The UAW produced a special leaflet on trade union rights situation in Korea for distribution among the members and the public. Protest letters were sent to the Korean government by the AFL-CIO, UAW, and IAM. (Full coverage, here.)

South Africa: More than 500 unionists took part in the picket of the Korean embassy organised by COSATU unions, led by the IMF-affiliate National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and the PSI-affiliated National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu). Protesters carried posters reading: "We demand South Korean government to release imprisoned trade union leaders", and "Respect rights of civil servants to establish and join unions of their choice." Leading the march, Bheki Magagule, Numsa deputy secretary-general, said the march formed part of a campaign by metalworkers' trade unions and public sector unions around the world to put pressure on the South Korean government to release union leaders from jail. (News coverage, here.)

Similar protest action was organised in Mauritius. In Russia, a delegation of trade union presidents met with the representative of the Korean embassy to deliver Russian workers condemnation of south Korean government trade union repression. In Hong Kong, Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions called on the Korean consulate to deliver a protest letter, while protest rallies were organised in Bangladesh, Brazil, New Zealand, and Nepal by the IMF and/or PSI affiliates. (Full coverage, here.)

Turkey: Turkish PSI-affiliates organised a protest meeting at the gate of the Korean Embassy. The leaders read out a statement calling for the release of imprisoned unionists and the recognition of the Korean Government Employees Union before a contingent of media reporters. Their protest letter was sent to President Kim Dae Jung by fax as the Korean embassy refused to receive the letter.

Netherlands: The Dutch Confederation of Trade Unions (FNV) wrote a special letter, on June 25, to Guus Hiddink, to draw his attention to the reality of trade union rights violation in Korea. In the letter, the FNV requested the "Korean Hero", the coach of the Korean national football team in the World Cup football competition, to use his special position to bring the situation to the public attention and to call upon President Kim Dae Jung to release all trade union members and to withdraw the warrants of arrest issued against many other unionists. The FNV noted, "the World Cup would be a good opportunity for the Korean government to show the world that they respect the internationally recognised trade union rights and that it will make an effort to live up to the international standards." FNV, in its letter co-written with the union of professional sports players, sent on the day the Korean national football team was scheduled to play Germany in a semi-final, wished coach Guus Hiddink and the Korean team success in the match against Germany.

Protest Letters Sent to President Kim Dae Jung

• OZCELIK-IS IRON, STEEL, METALLIC PRODUCTS AND AUTO INDUSTRY WORKERS' UNION, TURKEY
• BSRB, Confederation of State and Municipal Employees in Iceland,
• Lithuanian Metalworkers' Trade Union
• ABVAKABO FNV, public services union in the Netherlands
• Republican Union of health workers' trade organizations of Armenia
• SKTF - Swedish Union of local government officers, Avd 079, Kalmaravdelningen
• Rappresentanze Sindacali di Base - Pubblico Impiego - Bologna - Italia
• UGT-Portugal
• IUF Latin American Regional Secretariat
• FECOHT-CC.OO federacion estatal de comercio, hosteller y turismo de comisiones obreras
• European Federation of Trade Unions in the Food, Agriculture and Tourism sectors and allied branches
• Unionen Fagforening, avd. 747 Fellesforbundet, building and construction union local, Norway
• SYNATRAMAC, a civil aviation workers union, Republic of Benin
• Public Services Labor Independent Confederation, Philippines
• Nepal Inter Corporation Employees Union
• Tamilnadu Electricity Board Accounts and Executive Staff Union, India
• International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
• Australian Services Union
• CCAS - La Centrale chretienne de l'Alimentation et des Services, Belgium
• HAVA-IS Turkish Civil Aviation Union
• KMU - May First Movement Labor Center, Philippines
• Food Corporation of India Employees Union
• All India Cantonment Board Employees Federation
• National Organization of government employees, India
• Akil Bhartiya Sinchai Karmachari Mahasangh, India
• Vidyut Karmachari Morcha Sanghathan, UP, India
• Tamilnadu Electricity Employees and Contract Workers Union, India
• Tamilnadu Government Officials union, India
• American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
• Public Services International Japan Council
• JICHIRO - All Japan Prefectural and Municipal Workers Union
• ZENSUIDO - All Japan Water Supply Workers Union
• Japan Public Sector Union
• ZENCHURO - All Japan Garrison Forces Labor Union
• Amicus-MSF - the union for skilled and professional people, UK
• Malaysian PSI affiliates: Malayan Nurses Union, Junior Officers Union Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Amalgamated Union of Employees in Government Clerical and Allied Services, Amalgamated Union of Tenaga Nasional Berhad, University of Malaya General Staff Union, University Hospital Staff Union, Malyasia
• Svenska Kommunalarbetareforbundet (Swedish Municipal Workers Union)
• Civil Servants Union of Zambia
• Ver.di (United Services Union), Germany
• Health Workers Union of the Russian Federation
• IMF affiliates in France, Denmark, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Austria, Singapore, Colombia, Norway, Portugal, Mexico, Uruguay, New Caledonia, Honduras, Chile, Canada, Nepal, and Sri Lanka also sent protest letters to the Korean government. [ more ]