By Yi Whan-woo
President Park Geun-hye vowed Monday not to tolerate illegal protests in what is viewed as a warning intended for the country's largest umbrella labor union, which threatened last week to take to the streets to protest the government's labor reforms.
"An act that leads to social chaos is no good for the government or individuals," Park said during a meeting with her senior secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae. "I'll take stern measures against those who will be held responsible for mobilizing and stirring up illegal demonstrations."
She cited the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) which has been debating whether to organize a general strike after deciding on Jan. 19 to walk out of trilateral talks involving the government and management.
The FKTU, the country's umbrella labor union represented the labor sector at the three-way meeting but has stepped out of the talks.
"The FKTU refuses to engage in a dialogue and instead plans to have its members take to streets until its demands are met," Park said.
"To avoid a possible financial crisis (as in the late 1990s), it's critical to stay away from such collectivism.
"We should not falter and continue to pursue reforms for the future generations," she added.
FKTU President Kim Dong-man said that the union will no longer participate in future talks, claiming that the Park administration has acted "unilaterally" while pursuing its stated aim of making the labor market more flexible.
He opposed the government's draft guidelines introduced in December that will allow companies to formally sack underperforming employees and amend employment rules more easily without the consent from workers.
According to the President, the guidelines are aimed at sharing jobs between young job seekers in their 20s and 30s and those aged 50 or older.
Arguing that such policies are a breach of a trilateral deal agreed on Sept. 15, 2015, Kim said the FKTU will battle against the government.
The FKTU has been debating whether to join forces with the Korean Confederation of Trade Union (KCTU), the country's second largest umbrella union, to call an indefinite general strike.
The FKTU and KCTU have 843,174 and 631,415 members, respectively. The total number accounts for 77 percent of the labor unionists nationwide.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has been investigating possible violations of freedom of speech in Korea.
Maina Kiai, U.N. special rapporteur on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, has been meeting government officials and a range of interest groups, including human rights activists and representatives of labor unions since he arrived in Seoul on Jan. 21.
Kiai will hold a press conference and share his findings before his departure on Jan. 29.
President Park Geun-hye vowed Monday not to tolerate illegal protests in what is viewed as a warning intended for the country's largest umbrella labor union, which threatened last week to take to the streets to protest the government's labor reforms.
"An act that leads to social chaos is no good for the government or individuals," Park said during a meeting with her senior secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae. "I'll take stern measures against those who will be held responsible for mobilizing and stirring up illegal demonstrations."
She cited the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) which has been debating whether to organize a general strike after deciding on Jan. 19 to walk out of trilateral talks involving the government and management.
The FKTU, the country's umbrella labor union represented the labor sector at the three-way meeting but has stepped out of the talks.
"The FKTU refuses to engage in a dialogue and instead plans to have its members take to streets until its demands are met," Park said.
"To avoid a possible financial crisis (as in the late 1990s), it's critical to stay away from such collectivism.
"We should not falter and continue to pursue reforms for the future generations," she added.
FKTU President Kim Dong-man said that the union will no longer participate in future talks, claiming that the Park administration has acted "unilaterally" while pursuing its stated aim of making the labor market more flexible.
He opposed the government's draft guidelines introduced in December that will allow companies to formally sack underperforming employees and amend employment rules more easily without the consent from workers.
According to the President, the guidelines are aimed at sharing jobs between young job seekers in their 20s and 30s and those aged 50 or older.
Arguing that such policies are a breach of a trilateral deal agreed on Sept. 15, 2015, Kim said the FKTU will battle against the government.
The FKTU has been debating whether to join forces with the Korean Confederation of Trade Union (KCTU), the country's second largest umbrella union, to call an indefinite general strike.
The FKTU and KCTU have 843,174 and 631,415 members, respectively. The total number accounts for 77 percent of the labor unionists nationwide.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has been investigating possible violations of freedom of speech in Korea.
Maina Kiai, U.N. special rapporteur on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, has been meeting government officials and a range of interest groups, including human rights activists and representatives of labor unions since he arrived in Seoul on Jan. 21.
Kiai will hold a press conference and share his findings before his departure on Jan. 29.
