COVID-19 Confirmed Case Puts Minju No Chong on 'Emergency'... Delegate Assembly Postponed Tomorrow

On the 3rd, members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a National Workers' Rally in Jongno 3-ga, Seoul, demanding a complete revision of the labor law. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Following the occurrence of COVID-19 cases among participants of the July 3rd event (National Workers' Rally), the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) has decided to postpone the extraordinary delegates' meeting.

On the 18th, the KCTU announced that considering the current situation, the 73rd extraordinary delegates' meeting scheduled for the 19th will be postponed. Originally, the KCTU planned to approve the general strike plan for October through an online extraordinary delegates' meeting.

The KCTU's online delegates' meeting is conducted by connecting dozens of regional meeting rooms in real time for discussions; however, small group gatherings in regional meeting rooms are inevitable. The KCTU plans to hold a Central Executive Committee meeting soon to reconsider the schedule and format of the extraordinary delegates' meeting.

Earlier, on July 3rd, the KCTU held a National Workers' Rally in the Jongno area of Seoul, with the organizers estimating over 8,000 participants. Recently, three participants tested positive for COVID-19.

Accordingly, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency issued an administrative order requiring all participants to undergo COVID-19 testing.

The KCTU publicly apologized for the occurrence of confirmed cases among the rally participants. They stated, "After receiving reports regarding the confirmed cases, we conducted fact-checking procedures and promptly instructed participants to undergo proactive testing," adding, "We will do our best to conclude the situation through swift judgment and measures based on the test results."

However, the KCTU emphasized the need to verify whether the infection route of the confirmed cases is linked to the National Workers' Rally, stating, "It is inappropriate to make announcements that might instill the perception that the July 3rd rally was a major source of infection based solely on positive test results from participants at the typical incubation period."

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