Supreme Court Confirms Fine for KCTU Official Disrupting Jeju Naval Base Construction Site

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] A fine has been confirmed for a leader of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) who was prosecuted for obstructing construction by using violence at the Jeju naval base construction site.

The Supreme Court's 2nd Division (Presiding Justice Park Sang-ok) announced on the 12th that it upheld the lower court's ruling sentencing KCTU Jeju regional leader A to a fine of 1.5 million won in the appeal trial for the charge of obstruction of official duties by violence.

The court stated, "There is no illegality in the lower court's judgment that violated the rules of logic and experience, exceeded the limits of free evaluation of evidence, misrecognized facts, or misunderstood the requirements for establishing the crime of obstruction of official duties by violence or the law regarding joint perpetrators."

A was prosecuted for using violence, including spraying water on police officers dispatched to remove obstacles blocking the construction of the Jeju naval base dormitory in October 2014.

The first trial acquitted A, stating that there was no confirmation that A directly assaulted public officials, and that actions such as climbing on construction obstacles to protest and not cooperating with the police constituted "passive disobedience."

On the other hand, the second trial recognized that A, together with the gathered people at the time, collectively sprayed water on the police and pushed them, which was deemed "an act of obstructing administrative enforcement by assault," and found A guilty, sentencing him to a fine of 1.5 million won.

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