Police Decided to Arrest KCTU Leaders

The police is to strongly react against the labor organizations¡¯ violent demonstration and throwing of the firebombs. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) announced on 4th that they will arrest all leaders of the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) involved with the demonstration during last week. They said that they will issue the arrest warrants or send the letters of attendance report.

The Police said, ``Several letters of attendance report have already been issued to Dan Buong-Ho, the president of the KCTU, due to the charges of 20 cases of the meeting and demonstration law violations and interference of the execution of official duties. And we are considering whether to issue an arrest warrant for Dan.``

Besides president Dan, the police has decided to arrest other leaders of the KCTU, including Sin Hyun-Jik, the director of the Organization Labor Dispute Department, and other three leaders, for whom the arrest warrants have been issued on 29th of last month. They also sent the letters of attendance report to Sin Hyun-Hoon, the director of the Public Relations Department, and one other unnamed leader.

Meanwhile, the SAPA gave 3 million won each, the report reward money, to Chung (66) and another person who reported the suspect who made and carried firebombs. It was reward given since the police introduced the report reward money system in last March.

Chung, a security officer at a bank, and another person found a box that had contained 13 firebombs while they were patrolling the front of a bank located in Sungbookdong, Sungbookgu, Seoul, and reported to a nearby police station at 9:45 pm on 2th. The police arrested Yang (34) who approached to carry the box at the scene.

The KCTU said, ``Although the demonstration of last week ended without a major disgraceful affair, the police are still trying to arrest our leaders. The intention of the police is to divert the peoples¡¯ attention on the violent crackdown on Daewoo Motor employees on strike. And if the police reacts in that resolute way, we will reconsider the means of the general strike, which has been set for June 12th.``

Choi Ho-Won bestiger@donga.com