President Kim Declared Strict Response to `Illegal Strike of KEPIU

President Kim Dae-Jung declared that “the strike of the Korean Electric Power Industry Union is illegal. The Union must not intervene in the management and has no right to do so. The government should stand firmly with a principle and resolve the situation as soon as possible through dialogues.”

President Kim remarked at a Cabinet meeting, “this year would be a very difficult year if the government ignores that the unionists are continuing on strike and interrupting other workers or the government accept such unreasonable demands of the union.”

President Kim advised a strict response of the government, saying “by violating the law and stirring the social order, the unionists may reverse the recovering economy and the hard line unions are misleading majority reasonable unionists to the extreme.”

President Kim reiterated that “some unions are trying to take advantages of the situation before World Cup but the government will respond firmly by the law and principle. The government will say `No` to the request that cannot be accepted. The withdrawal of the privatization of the electric power industry cannot be accepted.”

President Kim said, “the continuing accumulation of deficits would be a burden over the people. The government will step forward in the market principle.” With regard to the visit of Japan`s Prime Minister Koizumi Juichiro, President Kim remarked, “we should not forget the past whether it is good or bad but the past must not be a stumbling block for the future.”

Chol-Hi Lee klimt@donga.com