'Illegal Rally Leader' Yang Kyung-soo, Chairman of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, Receives Suspended Sentence in Second Trial

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Yang Kyung-soo, chairman of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), who was indicted for leading illegal assemblies including violations of COVID-19 quarantine rules, was sentenced to a suspended sentence again in the second trial.

The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Appeal Division 4-2 (Presiding Judges Jeon Yeon-sook, Cha Eun-kyung, Yang Ji-jung) upheld the original sentence on the 28th in the appeal trial of Chairman Yang, who was charged with violating the Assembly and Demonstration Act and the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, sentencing him to one year in prison with a two-year suspension and a fine of 3 million won.

Chairman Yang was brought to trial on charges of leading multiple illegal assemblies that violated COVID-19 quarantine guidelines, including the National Workers' Rally from May to July last year. The first trial court stated, "Although the events occurred while raising awareness of workers' hardships and urging improvement of labor conditions, since it was a time when citizens' lives were restricted due to COVID-19, there was an obligation to comply with local government policies to prevent the spread of infectious diseases," sentencing Chairman Yang to one year in prison with a two-year suspension and a fine of 3 million won. The prosecution appealed this ruling.

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