The police issued additional summons for 224 leaders of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers’ Union (KTU, Jeon Gyo Jo) and the Korean Government Employees’ Union (KGEU) on charges of officially joining the Democratic Labor Party (DLP) on Jan. 27. The police had previously issued summons the 69 leaders of KTU and KGEU on Jan. 25. Thus, the total number of leaders who have been issued summons has reached 293.

An official of Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo Police Station said, “We issued additional summons for 224 leaders of KTU and KGEU who have seemingly joined the Democratic Labor Party (DLP) and paid membership dues to the party.” The police reportedly plan to summon the DLP member who is in charge of the party’s finances on Feb. 1.

In consideration of the police’s remarks that “there are leaders of KTU and KGEU who joined the New Progressive Party (NPP),” the police appear to have to expand the investigation into KTU and KGEU. The police said that they have secured proof from information obtained through a search and seizure warrant last October and November. The police will expand the number of members of their investigation team from 5 to 15 starting on Jan. 28.

In response, KTU spokesperson Um Min-yon said, “The police are portraying this as if the leaders of KTU joined the DLP collectively as an organization, but that is not the case.” This statement has been interpreted to mean that the teachers joined the DLP through their own individual choice.

Members of the Joint Countermeasure Committee against the Oppression of Government Employees and Teachers said in a statement issued on Jan. 26, “The summons for the leaders of KTU and KGEU expose the Lee administration’s mean-spiritedness that is striving to paint the KTU and KGEU’s actions in political colors at any cost.”

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