Samsung executive indicted for sabotaging union

Kang Kyung-hun, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics, arrives at a court in Seoul, Dec. 19, to attend a hearing on the legality of his arrest over alleged sabotage of union activities at Everland, the amusement park arm of Samsung Group. / Korea Times file

By Jung Hae-myoung

A senior official of Samsung Electronics and 12 others have been booked without detention for allegedly trying to break up the union at Everland, the amusement park arm of Samsung Group, the prosecution said, Tuesday.

According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, the 13 include Samsung Executive Vice President Kang Kyung-hun, a former Everland executive director surnamed Lee and two Everland employees identified as Kim and Lim.

The move came after the Seoul Central District Court rejected the prosecution's Dec. 19 request for an arrest warrant for Kang, at the time saying the allegations against him were still “controversial.”

Kang, 54, is suspected of interrupting the establishment and activities of the Everland union, in violation of labor laws.

According to prosecutors, Kang formed a union at Everland with four executive-level officials, including Lim, in 2011, when its reform-minded employees were also seeking to create another union, headed by Jo Jang-hee.

The prosecution suspects the union creation was aimed at crippling the activities of the worker-led union because a law revision at the time that allowed multiple unions at a single workplace stipulated that the assortment of unions was required to pick one representative bargaining unit to be at the negotiation table with management.

During the process for the establishment of the management-led union, Kang himself took care of the documents necessary for setting up the union, while educating Lim how to respond to the press.

From July 2011 to June 2012, Kang ordered surveillance on Jo and the union's leading officials in order to spot any mistakes and eventually took disciplinary action against two union members. Also he conciliated union members to withdraw from their union.

Jo was also caught by police for allegedly driving under the influence after Kang reported him to the police, but the blood alcohol content fell short. Kang also tipped off police about Jo's illegally registered vehicle and he was arrested, which served as the main reason for the company to fire him.

Kang's crime also includes collecting personal information of unionists and their families.

In April 2013, Lim, the union head of Everland, made a false claim at the court when he attended the administrative litigation filed by Jo against his unreasonable dismissal.

Jo won his revocation suit against the National Labor Relations Commission over his unfair dismissal and unfair labor practices in December 2016.