Chairman and Secretary General of National Public Servants’ Union to Be Arrested

A direct clash between the National Public Servants’ Union and the government seems unavoidable due to a union general strike that is scheduled for November 15, and the approval vote that is to take place before the strike.

On November 8, a day before the approval vote on the strike was expected to take place, the Union and the government each reaffirmed their plans─going through with the strike and blocking the union from even taking the vote.

Prosecutors and the police, especially, are seeking to prosecute the leaders of the union.

The union held a news conference today and revealed that “in spite of the government’s plans to stop us, we will hold the vote on November 9 and 10 by branch as planned. More than 140,000 union members are participating in this vote, and we will realize this no matter what sacrifice we have to risk.”

The union also asserted, “If the government aborts the vote, we will hold a nationwide protest gathering.”

However, in certain areas, members are breaking away from the union. Lee Du-ho, manager of the Nam-gu branch of the union’s Busan headquarters, resigned from his position in opposition to the decision to enforce the vote, and the Tongyeong branch of the union agreed not to participate in the vote nor the general strike.

In the case of the union in Yeongcheon, Gyeoungbuk Province, all 67 representatives, excluding the chairman, resigned.

The police issued an arrest warrant to union chairman Kim Young-gil (46) and secretary general Ahn Byung-soon (43) for violating the Law on Local Government Officials.

Hyun-Doo Lee ruchi@donga.com needjung@donga.com