 |
| Members of the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering union branch of the KCTU protest in front of the town hall building in Ulsan, South Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday, in advance of the general meeting of stockholders that was held in the building later that day. / Yonhap |
By Kim Jae-heun
Police are set to recommend the prosecution seek arrest warrants for six leaders of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), for staging multiple violent rallies in front of the National Assembly between March 27 and April 3.
Yeongdeungpo Police Station said Tuesday that it had asked prosecutors to request a local court to issue arrest warrants for the six.
They are accused of damaging objects for public use, trespassing in a public building, interfering with public duty and obstructing traffic.
The six allegedly tore down a fence at the Assembly on Yeouido, Seoul, in an attempt to enter the government compound during protests against the extension of the introduction of the flexible work hour system. They also used violence against police officers during clashes.
Police officers have questioned 74 KCTU members, including 33 who were detained on the spot. KCTU Chairman Kim Myung-hwan was also detained at the time and included in the subjects for questioning; but he has since refused to comply with two police summons.
Police said several leaders had prepared tools to use as weapons in advance and thus their violent protests were planned. Prior to the request for arrest warrants, officers searched the homes of the six leaders.
The KCTU claimed in a statement that the warrant requests were a "preset conclusion" by law enforcement authorities to suppress union activities.
This is the second time this month that arrest warrants have been sought for KCTU members over illegal activities at rallies.
Last week, a warrant was sought for a member of the KCTU branch of Hyundai Heavy Industries for allegedly assaulting police officers while trying to enter the company building in downtown Seoul, May 22.
However, the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the request, saying it was not necessary, as he was unlikely to flee or destroy evidence and he was not a high-ranking member of the union.
Twelve members of the union branches at Hyundai Heavy and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) were detained at the time for interfering with public duties and disobeying an order to disperse.
![[INTERVIEW] North Korean defectors bear brunt of remittance scams](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/75c261156ac7415fad92dc1d7c1b30cf.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Foreign-born entertainers seek to revolutionize local industry](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/4a6b2bd3d23044d699dee3c5bb956863.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
