By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Police will operate special investigative squads to track down illegal strikers and file charges against all labor or civic group members in related activities.
National Police Agency Commissioner General Kang Hee-rak held a video meeting with national metropolitan police agency commissioners Tuesday and unveiled a series of strict measures against illegal gatherings.
"We will protect law-abiding assemblies, but unlawful, violent rallies will be punished under strict guidelines," Kang said.
The police established a rule to round up those who assault police officers or hold street protests in the city center on the spot. They will also detain protest leaders accountable by tracking them down after the rallies using a special squad based on evidence collected at the demonstration site.
Kang's remarks seem to target assemblies planned for May Day and the protest of the Korean Construction Workers' Union scheduled today at Daehangno, central Seoul.
Meanwhile, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), a militant umbrella union group, put off a one-day strike originally scheduled today to mid-May.
The KCTU said they gave consideration to the nationwide condolence period for the 46 dead sailors of the sunken warship Cheonan. The umbrella union planned to stage a one-day walkout Wednesday to protest the government's business-friendly labor reforms.
The labor circle and the government have been at odds over how to enforce a ban on companies paying full-time wages to union representatives, which is to be implemented from July.
The Korean Metal Workers' Union (KMWU), a key organization of the KCTU, also said Tuesday it has postponed its one-day general strike to next month, citing similar reasons.
However, the Hyundai Motor union, the largest in KMWU, had rejected the walkout and has been suspected of pressuring the KMWU to delay the strike.