USFK Union Calls Unpaid Leave Plan "Hostage to National Security and Military Families... Strikes to Work"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] Korean workers employed by the US Forces Korea (USFK) have criticized the US military's plan for unpaid leave and announced they will engage in a "work attendance struggle."

The Korean Workers' Union under the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), representing Korean workers at USFK, held a press conference on the afternoon of the 20th in front of the US Embassy in Korea, strongly condemning the USFK's plan for unpaid leave targeting Korean workers.

As the defense cost-sharing negotiations between South Korea and the US for USFK have been delayed, the US military plans to implement large-scale unpaid leave for Korean workers starting next month on the 1st. The two countries held the 7th meeting for the conclusion of the 11th Special Measures Agreement (SMA) on defense cost-sharing from the 17th to the 19th in Los Angeles, USA, but failed to reach an agreement.

At the press conference, the union stated, "The unpaid leave of Korean workers will pose a fatal threat not only to the security of the Republic of Korea but also to the lives and safety of tens of thousands of USFK personnel and their families," and criticized, "The US is negotiating by holding hostage not only 9,000 Korean workers but also USFK personnel and their families."

In particular, they pointed out, "There is not a single Korean worker who is unrelated to life, health, safety, or the mission performance of USFK," and added, "It is impossible to ensure that only essential personnel work and that there will be no problems with readiness."

The union declared, "To protect the Republic of Korea and its people, and to protect USFK and their families, all of us Korean workers will start a work attendance struggle." They also criticized the US government, which demanded a significant increase in defense cost-sharing, saying, "They are forcing us to buy the ROK-US alliance with money."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.