The entire leadership of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU, Minju Nochong), including Chairman Lee Seok-haeng, resigned Monday to accept responsibility for the behavior of one of its senior members, who is being accused of attempting to sexually assault another union member.

The move marks the fourth time since the union began in 1995 that its leadership team has resigned en masse.

An interim committee has been entrusted with the task of running the organization until a new set of leaders can be chosen. A special election will be held in April to choose a new chairman.

The KCTU has been facing criticism for allegedly trying to convince a woman to keep quiet after a senior KCTU member attempted to sexually assault her. The woman had provided the union chairman with safe hiding while he was on the run from government authorities in January of 2009. The senior KCTU member, who was also helping Lee, attempted to rape the woman after Lee was arrested. The incident became public knowledge only recently.

“We all share a sense of responsibility for one of our senior members having tried to commit a sexual crime,” said acting chairperson Jin Young-ok at a press conference called to announce the resignations. “We decided to step down in order to share the victim’s pain and convey our apologetic hearts.”

Five vice chairpersons resigned individually on Friday. The decision by the four remaining leaders to resign together resulted in the KCTU’s deciding to form an interim committee, which will include the participation of the leaders of industry-specific member umbrella unions.

The committee decided that a special election for choosing KCTU’s new chairperson will be held in April. Final details about both the operations of the interim committee and the April election are scheduled to be discussed today at a meeting of member union leaders.

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