hankyoreh

Members of the KCTU-affiliated construction union hold a rally outside the Gangneung branch of the Chuncheon District Court on May 1 condemning prosecutors and the administration after a fellow union member attempted self-immolation there that day. (Yonhap)

On Monday, a Korean construction unionist self-immolated in front of a courthouse in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, in an act of protest against heavy-handed investigations by prosecutors.

Prosecutors had requested an arrest warrant for the man, a district leader of a union surnamed Yang, for allegedly coercing construction companies to hire union members and pay full-time union expenses.

He was scheduled for a warrant review hearing later in the day.

In a note he wrote before setting himself on fire, the man, surnamed Yang, expressed his frustration, saying that he had carried out his union activities justly and according to the law, but had been charged with obstruction of business and intimidation, rather than a violation of the assembly law.

The truth of the allegations aside, the unionist’s cry heard on the 133rd anniversary of International Workers’ Day is a tragedy borne from the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s relentless union bashing.

In February, President Yoon Suk-yeol coined the term “geonpok” — a term short for “construction site abuses” — to refer to illegal union behavior at construction sites and ordered a crackdown on such behavior.

The president said he would “eradicate at all costs” nefarious behavior at construction sites during his time in office and that he would seek criminal charges of coercion, intimidation, and racketeering for those who extort companies to hire union members and pay full-time or monthly union expenses.

According to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions-affiliated Korean Construction Workers Union Yang served as district leader for, 15 people have been detained and more than 950 have been summoned for investigation since Yoon ordered his crackdown.

However, much of what the government has accused of illegal behavior stems from the unique nature of construction sites, with their multi-tiered subcontracting structure and irregular delivery of work.

A typical case is that subcontractors have been demanding illegal work by paying workers a “monthly stipend” in order to make profits by reducing labor and construction time. This is why unions have been singled out as “corrupt actors” while leaving the numerous illegal activities spread throughout the construction industry untouched.

The labor sector argues that if the government\'s goal was to correct deep-seated practices at construction sites, it should have focused its efforts on improving the system.

This problem is not limited to construction unions. The government and ruling party emphasize the rule of law in labor relations on the surface, but in reality, it’s showing itself to be a “union jailer” through selective application of laws.

On the other hand, the administration’s proposal to allow for longer working hours has demonstrated its business bias when it comes to labor relations.

On International Workers’ Day, Yoon reiterated that he would “establish the rule of law in labor and management and firmly uproot the hereditary employment by vested interests that violates the spirit of the Constitution.”

While the president has repeatedly said that unions as “vested forces” are the problem, he has shown no interest in policies to restore dialogue among labor, management and the government, nor those that would address labor market inequality.

Without the minimum respect for labor, there can be no discussion of the rule of law.

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]