Two So-Called Union Officials Arrested for Extorting Money at Construction Sites

Created a Ghost Union with 600 Members
11 Affected Companies, Damage Amounting to 200 Million KRW

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] Two union executives who established a construction union and extorted money while visiting construction sites in Seoul and the metropolitan area have been arrested by the police. It was revealed that they systematically committed crimes by dividing roles such as identifying construction sites, filing assembly reports, and raising complaints.

On the 15th, the Seoul Jungbu Police Station announced that 11 union members were booked on charges including joint extortion. Among them, a male union chairman in his 50s and a male branch chief in his 30s were detained. The police explained that they applied for arrest warrants for the union chairman and branch chief on the 9th and that the warrants were issued the day before.

According to the police, the crimes were committed from January last year to April this year. After establishing a nominal construction union by registering about 600 fake union members, the group divided Seoul and the metropolitan area into eastern, western, southern, and northern zones, as well as Gangwon and Chungcheong regions. Furthermore, each branch was organized with a branch chief, negotiation chief, and office chief, operating systematically. They are known to have forced construction site personnel to hire union members or extorted 'union full-time fees' or 'union development funds' under the pretext of full-time union activities.

If companies refused, they retaliated immediately. They threatened to file various complaints or hold assemblies. In fact, if the threats were ignored, they held assemblies in front of construction sites, causing severe noise with broadcasting vehicles and loudspeakers. They also secretly filmed violations such as violations of the Waste Management Act, improper placement of signalmen, and safety rule violations to report them, and obstructed workers' access to construction sites under the pretext of rooting out illegal foreign workers.

The police began investigations in May this year and conducted a search of the union office on October 5. As a result of the investigation, 11 companies have been confirmed as victims so far, with damages amounting to 200 million won. The group reportedly used the extorted money for personal expenses such as fuel costs, housing management fees, and grocery purchases. However, it is reported that this union is not related to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions or the Federation of Korean Trade Unions.

A police official said, "The schedule for sending the case may change depending on the investigation situation," and added, "Since there are many crimes yet to be uncovered, active reports from victims who have experienced or are experiencing similar damages at construction sites are needed."

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